I'm a complete novice and have been given two hives last night and transported them 4 miles to my house. They were packed up and loaded after dark and this morning placed in their position in our garden. I had sealed up the entrance for the drive and when I got home, placed screening in front of the small reducer entry for both hives. It was a rather cool night with temps in the low 40s. This morning I moved the hives and was advised to remove the screening and slide the top cover to the open position. With in 45 minutes, one hive's front was covered in bees, the other not many came out (see picture). The bees were not aggressive and exhibited circling flight above the hive. When I returned an hour later, there were no bees on the front of the populated hive. Have they gone somewhere else? I was advised to wait a couple of days then open up the hive and see what's there. Some have said to keep the bees sequestered for a few days before release and others say that's not what bees like, particularly at this time of year. There's plenty of flowering and blossoming going on now.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
