# Video of four bees grooming one bee



## gezellig (Jun 11, 2014)

It's blurry, but it appears you had a girl wanting to enter to rob and the resident ladies stopped her at the door.


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## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1yXO648Zto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAhUWscg-50

videos from 2007


It is absolutely normal. I wondered too if it is something what happens only in my hives, so I asked the audience when lecturing beekeeping. Many listeners said they have seen similar. The "inspections" happening in the entrances is for some reason seen mostly in spring.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I have often seen my bees grooming each others up to 6 bees in a group.
Sometimes I would video them to say I have the hygienic behavior bees. In addition to the 
disease resistant this grooming behavior is what keeps the mites population low.
When the group grooming is not possible an individual bee will groom herself against
the side of the landing board. Constantly threshing her body against the side of the board and
brushing herself with her legs all over. I'm thinking that she's trying to dislodge the mites on her body.
So yes, this trait is highly desirable for propagating in addition to the mite biting/mauling behaviors.
We have a beekeeper that only choose to propagate the mauling behavior hive that have the mite pieces on the
sticky board. Maybe someday I will combine these 2 traits to make some resistant bees from them.


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## dynemd (Aug 27, 2013)

I'm with gezellig, looks to me like biting her legs, not grooming. I'll bet she's from another hive and trying to get in. Now Juhani Lunden has bees that are grooming.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...an-normal&highlight=invitation+grooming+dance

No, not fighting, but it does look a bit rough. When its over the center of attention gives herself a shake and says thank you!


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## mike bispham (May 23, 2009)

gezellig said:


> It's blurry, but it appears you had a girl wanting to enter to rob and the resident ladies stopped her at the door.


I think this is probably right, although there's none of the more telling sting threat behaviour. I've thought that the behaviour (during robbing) is geared to the aquisition of hive scent. 


Your videos are very interesting Juhani, thank you. Have you seen mites actually removed this way?

Mike (UK)


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## Juhani Lunden (Oct 3, 2013)

mike bispham said:


> Your videos are very interesting Juhani, thank you. Have you seen mites actually removed this way?


No, I haven´t.


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## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

A bee tries to get rid of a mite.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgtFh5-YtdM


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