Bee Behavior?

KimWilson
KimWilson Posts: 197 ✭✭✭
edited October 2020 in Beekeeping

So I went out this morning to hand pollinate my Canadian crookneck winter squash and found a curiosity in a female blossom. There were about 6 bees in the one blossom and they seemed to in a kind of a knot of bees. They eventually left that blossom and kind of flew/stumbled into another blossom near by. Anyone know what was going on with the bees? Is this normal behavior?

Comments

  • Jens the Beekeeper
    Jens the Beekeeper Posts: 651 admin

    @KimWilson sometimes bees sleep in blossoms especially squash blossoms. If there are more bees they will cuddle together to be warmer. Once warm enough in the morning they will head out to forage again

  • Annie Kate
    Annie Kate Posts: 680 ✭✭✭✭

    Wow, we have hives right close by, but I never saw anything like that. So cool!

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @Annie Kate Bees are very cool. The hive itself never sleeps but the individual bees do. I agree with @Jens about what you saw. It is not uncommon to find worker bees sleeping in empty cells in the honeycomb when working a hive.

  • KimWilson
    KimWilson Posts: 197 ✭✭✭

    Too cool! I have never seen anything like it! It did seem though, that they were so tangled that they could not get loose of each other. Bee Twister game.

  • mcarryon
    mcarryon Posts: 32 ✭✭✭

    I have also found d bees sleeping in my hives, but never in a blossom. That is awesome.

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Speaking of odd bee behaviour, I've had bees in my kitchen for the last couple of weeks. I finally saw them crawling in under the door (there's a considerable gap). I carefully catch and release them outside.

    I'm happy to see them around, but does anyone know why they would crawl under the door?

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    My bees love salty water. My neighbor said that she puts salt into the swimming pool for children instead of chlorine. The bees would regularly come to the swimming pool, although I provide enough water. Now I have dug out a pond and added salt. The bees seem to like it and stopped visiting my neighbors swimming pool.

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    I have seen Bumblebees asleep in flowers.

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,933 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I still think @Jens the Beekeeper and @tomandcara should teach a class on beekeeping!

    Also @Jens the Beekeeper love your new ID name!

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2021

    Hi @Lisa K . Thank you for the vote of confidence, and I will respectfully decline. The fact it is almost a month and I just now see you comment is reflective of how behind I have gotten. I am happy to report this has neen my best bee year in at least a decade.

    Tom

  • water2world
    water2world Posts: 1,177 ✭✭✭✭

    @KimWilson A keen observation! I will try to be more aware in order to spy some sleeping bees!