Courtship Behavior
Verhalten der Bienen
On warm days, many bees suddenly swirl in front of the hive, heads toward the entrance, flying in ever-larger circles.
On warm days, many bees suddenly swirl in front of the hive, heads toward the entrance, flying in ever-larger circles. This is not a swarm but the orientation flight of young bees, known in beekeeping terms as courtship behavior ('Vorspiel'). They memorize the location of their home and learn landmarks, first in the immediate surroundings, then further afield.
When the first flights take place is given differently in the literature. Sources mention short first outings from around the fifth day of life, as well as the actual courtship phase shortly before the transition to forager status in the third week of life. Both appear side by side in the specialist literature, and the age sequence within the colony is not rigid anyway.
For clarity: the cleansing flight is a physical necessity in winter and early spring, not a learning flight. A swarm departs in a directed manner and gathers in a cluster. Bees in courtship behavior stay near the entrance, and bees performing the scenting behavior are often seen there too. Anyone who regularly observes this behavior has a colony with ongoing brood production.