I did a search of the BEE-L archives for "washboard movement," but only
found one reference to it.  (The author suggests that it may be related to
a swarming impulse.)

I would like to share some observations:

Last year I had a hive in which nearly every bee seemed preoccupied with
making the washboard motion (head bent down, "pawing" at the board with
their front legs, and rocking front to back).  It died, with no trace of
any bees.

This year, I have a direct descendant from the hive which died.  It is
also heavily preoccupied, as are a number of other hives to varying
degrees, all of which have queens which could have mated with drones from
the original "washboard" colony.  However, if it truly is a genetic
defect, then why does it occur only in late summer, and not in the
spring?  This has led me to speculate that it could be mild poisoning by
tansy ragwort or some other plant, or tainted water.

Many questions, and I'd love your answers if you have had any experience
with this:

1. Is it genetic?

2. If it is genetic, is it a malady, or is it unimportant?

3. Could it, alternatively, be a syptom of a disease, virus, or poisoning?

4. Could it be a hygenic behavior which supresses mites? (I haven't
noticed the usual buildup of mites this year.)  The last time I treated
was in the fall with Apistan.

5. If it is genetic, could it be a regression to a wood chewing behavior
of a wasp-like anscestor (the movement looks similar to that of
wasps/hornets scraping wood to build their paper nests)?

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