Age Matters

Honey bees are good housekeepers and like to keep their hives tidy and clean. Over winter they stay indoors because it is usually too cold to go outside, for anything!

This means they hold their waste in their bodies until the days start to get warmer. Once the temperature reaches around 10°C, the honey bees can go outside without the risk of freezing from the cold weather.

They fly out briefly and stay near the hive to quickly empty their bodies of waste.

Beekeepers often see signs of their bees’ cleansing flights; they might find small yellow marks have been left on nearby clothes (beesuits and even white washing hanging on a line) or objects, such a white car on which the marks will be more visible. One thing for sure, it’s a sign that the bees are getting ready for spring.

The honey bees don’t go out one-by-one but they do go out in a somewhat orderly race of thousands at a time! Who can blame them after such a long wait to relieve themselves. It is age and hive-guarding status that seems to have a bearing on which bees leaves the hive, when!