[txbeek]

I checked out a house that I will do a cutout to remove a massive hive. The bees were outside the entrance going forward and backward almost in unison. But they were NOT flapping their wings to cool the hive. It was close to sundown. Has anyone else seen this behavior?

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[dynemd]

Mine do that too in lesser numbers, their forward legs are moving and scratching the surface. You got me as to why.

 

[AR Beekeeper]

It is called "Wash Boarding" because of the movements of a laundress scrubbing on a wash board. They appear to be cleaning/polishing the surface around the entrance of the hive, and they stroke the surface with their antennae. They do this in my bee yard each year when the nectar flow slows or stops.