On a fine day at the end of May, you observe numerous bees massed in front of the entrance of the hive. What do you deduce from this?
- Swarming is certain and the colony is going to leave immediately.
- The workers are calling the foragers back to guide them towards the hive.
- The fanning bees are promoting the evaporation of the water from the collected nectar.
Show answer
Correct answer: 3.
The fanning bees are promoting the evaporation of the water from the collected nectar.
Why?
In late spring, during a strong nectar flow, the bees must transform the fresh nectar into honey. This involves in particular reducing its water content before capping.
The fanning bees create an air current at the entrance and in the hive. Their head is often oriented towards the entrance, the legs are firmly gripped to the alighting board and the wings beat rapidly.
This behaviour can also help to limit an overheating of the colony, especially when the temperature is high or the hive is very populous.
What to understand
One must not conclude too quickly that there is swarming simply because many bees are visible in front of the hive. In May, strong activity at the entrance can also correspond to an abundant nectar flow, to intense fanning or to a very populous colony.
The recall behaviour is different. In this case, the bees expose the Nasonov gland, with the abdomen raised, in order to release an orientation pheromone. This posture does not resemble that of the fanning bees.
Observation at the entrance must always be interpreted with the context: weather, nectar flow, strength of the colony, smell of nectar, behaviour of the bees and any signs of swarming impulse.
Key points
Numerous bees in front of the entrance do not automatically mean that swarming is being prepared.
During a strong nectar flow, the fanning bees help to evaporate the water from the nectar and to stabilise the atmosphere of the hive.
To distinguish fanning, recall and swarming, one must observe the posture of the bees, their orientation, the activity at the entrance and the state of the colony during the visit.
Further reading
► Observations at the entrance
► Practical Guide: 4.8.1 Entrance observation
