# Too many bees out on cleansing flights not making it back.



## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

I'm happy to see the girls have made it thus far through the winter, but with the warmer temperatures, the girls have been out flying around for a cleansing flight.

But with the snow still on the ground (and the air is still cool), they seem to end up landing on the snow and then get too cold and die. At first there was maybe 50 a day - but now there are hundreds.

I'm worried that too many are coming out and not making it back in and the cluster is going to be too small to survive what winter weather we have left. 

Is this just a normal thing? Anything that you do?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Just a noraml sunny bright winters days activity for honey bees. Nothing you can do to stop it unless you want to shut them in and have a mess inside the hive.
You could go around and gather them in a big old glass jar with holes in the lids, bring them in the house to warm. Once warm return them to the hives, shake them out and they end up in the snow again most times.

I feel they were the early fall bees ready to make room for the NOW hatching brood. Just natures way.

 Al


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## BjornBee (Jan 17, 2011)

While some may not make it back due to the cold and a misread on the situation, remember that bees will also go outside the hive to die anytime they are close to dying. So over cold periods, many bees approach this end of days period of their lives. When a warm day happens, they go out of the hive and die.

When you have all grass, you don't see much. With white snow, you actually get a better feel for probably how many bees die every day outside the hive.


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