Rob Calkins wrote:
 
>I have two hives at this yard and just finished pulling supers last
>week.  For the last couple of days there
>has been a ball of bees about the size of a baseball at the side of a
>shed at the bee yard.
 
Bees do not normally leave the hive for 14 days or so after hatching, during
which time they attend to cleaning and feeding duties.  If the supers you
removed had a number of young bees on the frames they would not have had a
chance to orient on the hive and unless shaken in front of the entrance
would cluster in misery hoping someone will signal the hive location, as
they do in swarming mode. You could scoop them up and shake in front of
hives when they will probably attempt to enter but may not be recognised by
guard bees.
 
Betty McAdam
HOG BAY APIARY
Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island
j.h. & e. mcadam<[log in to unmask]
http://kigateway.eastend.com.au/hogbay/hogbay1.htm