Bees Have Many Jobs Inside and Outside of Their Hive

On May 28, we found our bees hard at work doing many jobs.  Watch this very short 8 second video and look for bees that are cleaning, guarding, fanning, and those returning from foraging. 

• The bees along the top of the video are moving front to back in short steps.  They are cleaning the surface of their entry. 
• Bees near the front of the landing board (on the left side) are "greeting" returning bees and guarding against bees from other hives, which may try to enter as robbers. 
• Bees on the landing board (on the right side) are fanning to help regulate the internal temperature of the hive and to also create airflow within the hive.  Fanning also helps to decrease moisture in the hive to "thicken" the honey. 
• A few bees are returning to the hive with full pollen baskets.  They quickly land and head straight into the hive to deposit their collections.