Sunday the 3rd of March
Today was the first truly spring-like day of the year.
It was still too cold to open the hive, but the sudden change in the seasons meant that there was now plenty of action outside the box.
Apiary Diary: Observations
11.30am: Bright sun and feeling warmer than it had for ages.
The Apiary thermometer was only reading 6.1C but there were already lots of flyers, a few returning with pollen.
Apiary Diary: Observations
11.30am: Bright sun and feeling warmer than it had for ages.
The Apiary thermometer was only reading 6.1C but there were already lots of flyers, a few returning with pollen.
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| Morning: still a bit chilly |
12 noon: A little warmer and significant numbers of bees now flying.
A larger proportion of bees were returning with pollen and there was constant activity.
The flight patterns seemed less focussed than summer foraging flights.
Much of the activity around the front of the hive was less direct, more chaotic, very probably orientation flights.
Much of the activity around the front of the hive was less direct, more chaotic, very probably orientation flights.
Soon after this the activity died away to nothing, perhaps coinciding with it clouding over a bit.
2pm: The sun had emerged from behind the clouds and the temperature had risen to 10.7C. The bees were back flying again.
The flights built up from a small start to large numbers of bees which caused a bit of a traffic jam and the odd ruck at the small winter entrance with lots of pushing and shoving to get in and out.
This time there were significantly more bees returning with pollen.
The flights built up from a small start to large numbers of bees which caused a bit of a traffic jam and the odd ruck at the small winter entrance with lots of pushing and shoving to get in and out.
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| Winter entrance already looking a bit on the small side |
This time there were significantly more bees returning with pollen.
There was also a variety of colours, implying that there are already a variety of sources out there somewhere.
Meanwhile, away from the Apiary, the back doors and windows of Spike Towers were open to let in as much fresh air as possible.
Judging from the shouts coming from inside, LandofSpike (who was at the far western borders of Spike Acres carrying out some maintenance on the Apiary structure) was soon aware that the fresh air was not all that was being let in.
Meanwhile, away from the Apiary, the back doors and windows of Spike Towers were open to let in as much fresh air as possible.
Judging from the shouts coming from inside, LandofSpike (who was at the far western borders of Spike Acres carrying out some maintenance on the Apiary structure) was soon aware that the fresh air was not all that was being let in.
There were quite a few bees inside too.
LandofSpike had to employ his trusty queen clip to gently capture, then liberate, all the bees trapped in the house.
This quite unexpected incursion of bees into the house is interesting because the only other time it has happened was on the bees' very first day in the Apiary, when there was, for one day only, a constant stream of the fellers getting trapped in the conservatory.
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| Every home should have one |
This quite unexpected incursion of bees into the house is interesting because the only other time it has happened was on the bees' very first day in the Apiary, when there was, for one day only, a constant stream of the fellers getting trapped in the conservatory.
LandofSpike presumes these were bees scouting the new territory for sources of nectar and pollen.
Having returned to the hive with the news that there was none to be had in the house, no more bees bothered to come visit all season long.
Having returned to the hive with the news that there was none to be had in the house, no more bees bothered to come visit all season long.
So, bees in the house on the first proper forage day of spring, isn't such a surprise after all.
It was simply scouts re-mapping the territory.
It was simply scouts re-mapping the territory.
This first day scouting may also account for the increasing returns of pollen as this first day progressed.
In the morning areas rich in pollen had been discovered, and the locations had been relayed to the colony, so that, in the afternoon, foragers knew exactly where to go.
In the morning areas rich in pollen had been discovered, and the locations had been relayed to the colony, so that, in the afternoon, foragers knew exactly where to go.
