# Tons of bees are flying in front of hives! Help!



## Chemguy (Nov 26, 2012)

they are likely orienting, and will do so each day


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## TPalmer (Jun 11, 2012)

I have 4 hives in my back yard and all four will do what you describe at least once a day. My understanding is they need to relieve themselves (go the the bathroom). They will not do this in the hive. Also I belive they are doing orientation flights. Mine do this normally towards the afternoon and only lasts about 15 mins. If yours are lasting longer then maybe you have a strong flow going on. Just a thought. Now I have board on board fence around my yard and the neighbors didn't even know I had hives till I told them and gave them a jar of honey.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

If you absolutely need to calm things down set a lawn sprinkler up to make flying less attractive... 

If there's a chance of robbing reduce the entrances.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

It's orienting, like this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA7mxsld0Fk

That was a couple months ago. 5 minutes later it was mostly settled back down, but sometimes you just show up at the right time to see them doing it in mass. It was kind of funny, the orientation flights in that yard kind of progress, when one hive is about done another one starts up.


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## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

It sounds like the hives should be hosted at a different location if normal activity is going to present a problem with the neighbors....


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## Delta (Jan 23, 2013)

I'm new also and my hive does the same thing around 2:30 every day lasts between 30 and 60 min. I would say it is orientation flights / cleansing flights IMO.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Orientation flights from the youngins.


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## Ben Franklin (May 3, 2011)

I posted a video on orientation flight yesterday.


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## Ben Franklin (May 3, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRFWZv4HZY8


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#orientation

Orientation...


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## bevy's honeybees (Apr 21, 2011)

I agree, orientation.

Unless it's what happened to me yesterday at the same time.
At orientation time, one of my hives swarmed. Not again! I don't get it, as these are my backyard hives which I know are not overcrowded. No qe used. 

I knew it was swarming because they were filling the air above the shed/hives. I went out to see which hive was swarming, but orientation also was going on and I couldn't deterimine which one was swarming. I think I know which one now, but haven't looked inside yet. I watched as they went to a branch high up in one of the pines behind my lot. I put out a bait box, but as of 11:30 am they are gone.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Don't have to be crowded to swarm... if they backfill sufficiently they will start packing. You need to make sure they keep a continuous broodnest to reduce swarming during high flows. Sometimes it's not easy if a lot of pollen is coming in.


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