Cleansing Flight
Verhalten der Bienen
On the first mild days, when the daily high reaches about 10 degrees Celsius and the sun is shining, the bees leave the winter cluster and empty their rectum in flight.
On the first mild days, when the daily high reaches about 10 degrees Celsius and the sun is shining, the bees leave the winter cluster and empty their rectum in flight. Over the weeks they have held back the indigestible remainder of their winter food, and the rectum can then take up to four-fifths of the abdomen. Healthy bees do not defecate inside the hive.
The cleansing flight is the best health check of the year, without having to open a colony. Vigorous, purposeful flying by many bees indicates a strong colony. Fecal spotting on the entrance board and hive front, on the other hand, points to dysentery, triggered by Nosema or amoebae, by unsuitable winter feed with too much indigestible content, or by repeated disturbance of the winter rest.
Anyone at the apiary on this day notes, for each colony: whether it is flying, how strongly, how cleanly. Also clear snow and debris from the entrance so the bees can fly out unhindered. The hive should only be opened after the cleansing flight and only above 12 degrees, since an inspection beforehand can cause the bees to defecate inside the hive.