Yesterday I installed my first-ever packages (2) of bees on a 60 degree
cloudy day. After closing up the hives, I placed the package boxes next to
the hive entrance. One of the packages had only 20 or so left, but the
other had as many as 200. I noticed that at both of the 1" hive entrances
there were bees fanning, and as soon as the 20 made it in, they quit. The
hive with lots of stragglers outside keep fanning into the cool night.
Could the bees be "smart" enough to know when their sisters need help
finding there way to their new home and so help them by fanning the
queen-smell out to draw them in? It seemed too cool for temperature
control.
Gregory Worona
Beekeeper of 1 day