[pokerman11]

I have a few hives, and it seems that the majority of bees leave the hive and go straight -directly away from the opening.

Do bees generaly go where the opening is pointed?

 

[mike haney]

watch them close they will usualy make a big spiral unless they are returning to a nectar source. it seems to be more pronounced if you put a barrier in front to make them go up first. good luck,mike

 

[Budster]

To make a long story short, no! They somehow communicate to each other where all the goodies are at. Bees are very efficient, so, if there's plenty of nectar straight out the hive at a mile and a half, and they find (they will) better nectar sources to the left of the hive at 1/2 mile, they will work that instead...

But, remember, they are efficient. So, why aren't they working the dandelions 2 feet from the hive? Because they know what is more efficient. They know that they can go out 1/2 mile and load themselves down fast and easy by going to a particular spot.

Besides that, I'm sure they have already worked the dandelions in front of the hive numerous times!

 

[pokerman11]

It's just that my bee yard is about 150 yards down into the woods near the bog. The bog has lots of various nector sources. Up by my house is the woods, and here I have one observation type hive that I watch from my home office window.

Here by the house I find the bees working the nector from the hives down by the bog while the ones in my observation hive mostly make a bee-line to the bog.

It just seems they first go the direction they are pointed, and then work sources vectors from that original angle. that means that nector sources behind the hive seem to be the last they find.

not important just an observation

 

[afss]

So turn the hive 180 degrees and see if you niotice them working more on the other side or if the numbers stay the same

 

[dcross]

Yes, but they can point themselves anywhere they want

 

[Brenda]

No. I set my hive up facing the country and an opening in the tree tops. They came out, flew up and went north and into town.