[LarryBud]

It's just getting light, at least an hour before sunrise and 50 F degrees. Lately, my one hive is up and at 'em, pile of bees outside on the landing board and they're coming out, some falling off the board onto the grass, crawling back to the landing, gathering up and then flying off. A bunch more flying in and appearing, despite the cold and dark, returning from foraging. Lots of activity very early in the cold. The second hive (must be Millennial Bees sleeping in) not one on the board, no sign of any activity. It's been like that for the last few days. By the time the sun hits the hive around 8, the second hive wakes up and both hives are buzzing by 9, heavy traffic in and out. Strong fall flow, goldenrod and all the fall goodies going. Two deeps with several supers each, genetically identical bees from two nuc's from same supplier last spring. Anyone know what's going on?

 

[beemandan]

Have you done an inside inspection recently?

 

[hockeyfan_019]

Not sure about your hive placement, but sunlight, or perhaps even UV exposure at the landing areas, seems to make a big difference for me. When I made some splits, some hives are facing mostly southeast, and others southwest, and the southeast hives "wake up" earlier, sometimes even before it is fully light. Population also seems to make a difference, which you can find during inspection. The hives that are jam-packed always wake up earlier, presumably because the entire hive holds more residual heat overnight, so they're not so sluggish by morning. Finally, ventilation can make a difference. Hives with solid bottoms wake up earlier than screened bottoms. All my local experience of course, YMMV.

 

[LarryBud]

I had just finished a Formic treatment and was deep into the hive about a week ago removing the remaining wrapper material. Hives look good, plenty of fresh brood so I know the queens recovered and strong population. I had added an extra medium to the top (both had multiple working mediums on top of double deeps) to each for the Formic for the expansion reaction of the cluster and both hives took to build new comb in them-we are in a good flow. I'm going to go into them late afternoon today to check on the honey supers and general population. I'm now thinking it just maybe a brood expansion to support the strong fall flow here combined with having more room. Hell, they may think it's spring with our weather here. I'm going to wait a couple weeks to do a final harvest, let the formic dissipate, might have to add another medium .
Hockeyfan may be right, both hives face almost dead south but the slower bone has a cedar blocking morning light buit this is still starting on cold morning (upper 40's) well before sunrise. Maybe a night shift? ;-)

 

[Boondocks]

You may have Russian bees in the early hive-they are always Russian about. The slower hive are probably Italians.

 

[GregV]

..... genetically identical bees from two nuc's from same supplier last spring......

They are practically never "genetically identical".
That much is guarantied.
The rest is obvious - they are different.