Bees tap dancing on landing board

[cforbes]

It's hot here and humid here. My bees are out on their front porch doing a dance I havn't seen discussed. They are tap dancing with their front legs and swaying up and down, back and forth using their back legs. They will then turn a bit and do it in a new direction. Solid mass of bees, none climbing on the others. There was a drone among them, and he looked like he was trying to learn the dance but couldnt really do it like the girls. They are not sending any messages to each other since they are all doing it and no one is listening with antennae. Foragers flying in and out, not involved or stopping to join the gang.

What is going on?

[DeeAnna]

I would guess they are "washboarding". See:

http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...9-Washboarding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbwumXVTOz8
http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2...ard-dance.html

Is this what you are seeing?

[Roadstar]

I think they were just happy to see you!

[KelpticFest]

That is ruddy amazing! Went to the youTube site to see it - they sure do look like they've been sentenced to clean the hive with toothbrushes. How often do they do it? Youtube seemed to be saying it was daily.

[jgd]

Just turn off the music, and tell them break is over!

jd

[cforbes]

I would guess they are "washboarding". See:

http://www.beesource.com/forums/show...9-Washboarding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbwumXVTOz8
http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2...ard-dance.html

Is this what you are seeing?

Yep! Exactly. The question is why and what are they actually doing? Of benefit for them? They've been doing it for days, but with the warmer weather, more of them are doing it. I will upload my own video tomorrow.

[DeeAnna]

No one really seems to know, from what I've read. Pretty neat, though.

[Bens-Bees]

According to the book "Beekeeping for fun and profit", they do that to clean the woodenware.

[Scrapfe]

... My bees are ...dancing ...back and forth... They will then turn ...and do it in a new direction... What is going on?

It sounds like they are doing the macarena.
http://www.metrolyrics.com/macarena-...s-del-rio.html

[DeeAnna]

...they do that to clean the woodenware.

Welllll, yes, that's the obvious assumption to make, but bee researchers are in doubt.

"...This behavior is believed to be associated with general cleaning activities but virtually nothing is known as to ... the function of the behavior...." Source: http://iussi.confex.com/iussi/2006/t...gram/P2650.HTM

FWIW.

[larrythebeek]

There will be less and less of them each week, until only Hines Ward and his partner are left.

"Join us next week for the next edition of -- Dancing With The Bees"

[ezwicky]

mine just started doing this yesterday (first colony, started from a nuc in early may). i was going to post a question, but i did a search and found this thread. i watched the above-linked youtube video, and this is exactly what mine are doing, but not on the front side of the hive, just on the landing board.

some of mine are doing one other thing too: there are a few of them with backs highly arched and wings fanning. does anybody know what this is intended for?

thanks,

-eric