Bees boiling in and out of entrance

[Jen]

Today's observance. I think we have a flo going on. This is amazing watching the bees boil in and out of the entrance. Lot's of fresh yellow pollen as well.

And I also think there is a orientation flight as well.

1) Should I open the entrance a bit?

2) Should I bee feeding sugar syrup at this time?

[riverbee]

jen, get rid of the entrance reducer, your bees are getting jammed at the front door!  or open it enough so they are not getting jammed up.....
curious, why do you have frames outside the hive?

oh, ps, awesome pix!

EDIT AND ADD:
i would be feeding syrup if need be, 1:1

[iddee]

Looking good. Yes, I would open the entrance to at least 3 to 4 inches, if not more. I very seldom use entrance reducers at all.

[Perry]

Agreed, open it up some. I would also move those frames away, you could be setting yourself up for problem. If you're looking for the bees to clean them up so you can get rid of them, move them away from the hive a good distance.

[Gypsi]

My elm tree started blooming and my bees were flying on a day that I thought was too cold but they seem to be fine.


My hives are closed up farther than yours but I have one that is over sized, over aggressive and a confirmed robber hive. I would not dare to set frames out near mine, have had almost no rain this winter

[Ziffa]

Hi Jen,

My little yellow hive does the same thing with their orientation flights - so busy I find myself checking 2-3 times to assure myself it isn't robbing or swarming- the bees are just flowing in and out of the hive.  Then after about 30-40 minutes everything calms down again.

Opening the entrance will help with the regular traffic traffic jam,  it's a great sign that you have a healthy population.

Congrats!

love,
ziffa

[apisbees]

If this is only happening for a couple of hr in the afternoon I would leave it for now, if it is happening from 10-4 open it up. Bees on orientation will hang out at the entence but allow the foragers to come and go thru.

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[litefoot]

Not sure what kind of flow you have, but I see a bunch of foragers coming back with yellow pollen. I think this time of year, it would be some kind of tree pollen like elm or willow. I took my entrance reducers off several weeks ago. Awesome pictures!

[Jen]

Thanks Everyone!

Ziffa- Yeah! I went out today to say good morning to my bees and the hair raised up on my arms.... SWARM! SH.. !!!

[Jen]

Riv- ""curious, why do you have frames outside the hive?""

Those are the four that I switched out last week, going from plastic to wood/wax. I left them out for the bees to clean up. After reading this thread tho, I brought them in, and sure won't do that again 

[Woody Roberts]

Another lesson I learned the hard way. I set a box by the hives that had been ravaged by SHB. When the robbing was over I'd lost two hives.

In one the only live bee was the queen.

[riverbee]

"Those are the four that I switched out last week, going from plastic to wood/wax. I left them out for the bees to clean up. After reading this thread tho, I brought them in, and sure won't do that again  "

jen, what you can do is if you have an extra shallow, or medium super, is set that empty box on top your inner cover, lay the frames to be cleaned up in there, put your outer cover back on top.  the bees will go up and clean them up and your frames are not out in the open  .

[Jen]

Good Idea!