# Why are the bees sticking their butts in the air?



## Andy382 (May 7, 2015)

I'm a new beek and have 6 hives. I started with 2 in May and have worked my way up to 6. I check them every week but have never noticed this before. On 1 hive whenever I open the outter cover and the inner cover is exposed about 30-50 bees are walking around but 1/2 to 3/4 are sticking their butts/stingers in the air. Even when I remove the inner cover & the tops of those frames are exposed the same thing is going on. They're not hostle, they have been smoked. They are my strongest hive (2 deeps, 1 & 1/2 supers full). I'm not really worried about it they seem fine just struck me as odd since they're the only hive doing it.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Nasonov.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesterms.htm#n
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasonov_pheromone


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## MJuric (Jul 12, 2010)

*Nasonov.*

Just curious do they ever do this as a means of protection? IF not does this activity change by time of year? 

Reason I ask is that it seems to me that when I pop the top later in the year or when it's cold, specifically with an inner cover, a significant number of bees come thru the hole in the inner cover and prance around with their tails up. The rest of the year they typically do not. 

~Matt


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Just curious do they ever do this as a means of protection? 

No.

>IF not does this activity change by time of year? 

All bee activity varies by temperature and whether there is a flow and how long the days are and who knows what else... but the reason they do it doesn't really change. You can open a hive anytime it's warm enough for the bees to not get paralyzed by the cold and shake a frame of bees back into the box and they will come to the top, stick their butts in the air and start to nasonov...


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## MJuric (Jul 12, 2010)

*You can open a hive anytime it's warm enough for the bees to not get paralyzed by the cold and shake a frame of bees back into the box and they will come to the top, stick their butts in the air and start to nasonov... *

Any idea why the behavior would noticeably increase during colder weather? In my hives at least there's a very significant difference by time of year. This ranges from almost non existent on hot summer days to a whole bunch during colder times. Could it be an issue of the pheromones becoming less effective the colder it gets and the bees knowing it? 

~Matt


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I don't know that it DOES increase during colder weather, but it would make sense because a bee is much more vulnerable if they don't find their way home quickly when it's cold out. Once they get chilled they can't fly and they will die.


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## wcubed (Aug 24, 2008)

Don't like to disagree with Mr Bush, but I believe that it is a defensive posture. Saw a picture somewhere that showed bees around an inner cover vent port and you could see that those butts in the air had the tips of stingers showing. If they were nasonoving, you should see the last segment of the abdomen turned down to expose the gland. The picture and my observations show the abdomen aligned.

Walt


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## MJuric (Jul 12, 2010)

*Don't like to disagree with Mr Bush, but I believe that it is a defensive posture. Saw a picture somewhere that showed bees around an inner cover vent port and you could see that those butts in the air had the tips of stingers showing. If they were nasonoving, you should see the last segment of the abdomen turned down to expose the gland. The picture and my observations show the abdomen aligned.*

This is kind of what I remember seeing as well. Tail up, stinger exposed and what appeared to me to be a frantic/defensive posture. 

At the same time I suppose Michael Bush's description could also be feasible in the sense that if the flyers are in danger, some get pulled off when you pop the top when it's cold etc, that you get the pheromone out quickly, like a lifeline.

That being said it certainly looks like a defensive thing to me every time I've seen it. In every case I have seen it the temp is cold enough that they would not be "Normally" flying and thus do not come out and bump your veil etc. They boil out a bit and stick the tails up.

~Matt


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

I think I read about what you're describing in the Beekeepers Handbook, but I can't find it. It described the same behavior, with the stingers sticking out slightly, but the last segment of the abdomen was not curved down like it is when the Nazonov gland is exposed, as a defensive posture during cold weather. Sort of like a rattle snake rattling when disturbed. "Don't bother us, it's too cold."


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Where are the photos. I can't picture tail sticking up with abdomen curved down.


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

wcubed said:


> Don't like to disagree with Mr Bush, but I believe that it is a defensive posture. Saw a picture somewhere that showed bees around an inner cover vent port and you could see that those butts in the air had the tips of stingers showing. If they were nasonoving, you should see the last segment of the abdomen turned down to expose the gland. The picture and my observations show the abdomen aligned.
> 
> Walt


they are spraying nasanov. It is like a dog peeing on a tree. They are "making their mark"


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

I did a little research last night. The reference was in Ross Conrad's Natural Beekeeping, 2nd Ed. There's a picture of the bees on page 69. The caption is "If you remove the outer cover during winter when the bees are too cold to fly, they will arch their abdomens and aim their stingers up into the air as a warning to leave them alone."
The picture shows the inner cover hole with bees around it and several bees with their stingers/abdomens pointed up in the air. Sounds like what Walt described.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

_Honey bee worker with Nasonov gland exposed_. photo credit

There is also a similar photo at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasonov_pheromone


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I see tail in the air, no stinger and nothing curved downward.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

There are two differ postures being described here; 
1 honey bee fanning nasonov. Gland exposed. Sits still with a strong grip. Wings buzzing away. 
2 honey bee warning. Butt in air stinger sticking out. No gland exposed. Wings not moving. Sometimes walking. Often turns and points stinger at threat.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Thank you that is what I was looking for.

I have always seen the wings fanning so I will keep a look out if they are not. I probably can't see the stinger anyway.


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## wcubed (Aug 24, 2008)

Thanks, F P
Came back here to mention that in the defensive posture the wings are not active - not trying to disperse the Nasonov scent.

Ace,
It's just the last segment that is turned down to expose the scent gland - those white dots at the top of the pic. This pic is classic Nasonoving - wings a blur.

W....( you posted while I was typing)


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## sterling (Nov 14, 2013)

Andy382 said:


> I'm a new beek and have 6 hives. I started with 2 in May and have worked my way up to 6. I check them every week but have never noticed this before. On 1 hive whenever I open the outter cover and the inner cover is exposed about 30-50 bees are walking around but 1/2 to 3/4 are sticking their butts/stingers in the air. Even when I remove the inner cover & the tops of those frames are exposed the same thing is going on. They're not hostle, they have been smoked. They are my strongest hive (2 deeps, 1 & 1/2 supers full). I'm not really worried about it they seem fine just struck me as odd since they're the only hive doing it.


Sometimes the bees will do that when you open the hive if they are queenless.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

wcubed said:


> Ace,
> It's just the last segment that is turned down to expose the scent gland - those white dots at the top of the pic.


Oh Wow, now I see them. Thanks Walt.


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

GaryG74 said:


> I did a little research last night. The reference was in Ross Conrad's Natural Beekeeping, 2nd Ed. There's a picture of the bees on page 69. The caption is "If you remove the outer cover during winter when the bees are too cold to fly, they will arch their abdomens and aim their stingers up into the air as a warning to leave them alone."
> The picture shows the inner cover hole with bees around it and several bees with their stingers/abdomens pointed up in the air. Sounds like what Walt described.


After reading Ross Conrad's article about "Raw Honey, unheated and unfiltered" in ABJ or maybe BC last night, I have found that I may need to discount some of what he says unless I can back it up in a reliable source.


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