Bee Behavior Bees Flying In a Circle

So I just installed my first package this passed Thursday, check them on Sunday, Queen released. So I took footage of my girls today and wanted to know if this normal behavior. Bees are flying around in a small pack in a circle and seem to go higher and higher.

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Yes, those are orientation flights of new bees. They do that and typically fly in a figure eight pattern to lock in the coordinates of “home”. With your package you will see a lot of that and then it will die down until you have new brood cycling and then those bees, once flying age, will do the same thing. Its one of the fun things to watch to understand what is normal from signs of trouble. This one is normal. good on you Dylan.

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Great info @Tim_Purdie. Trying my best to learn and study my girls and notice a change if a sign of trouble. I will know how my Saskatraz Queen is doing this Thursday evening. My mentor from our local bee club will be coming over to assist me with checking brood, eggs, etc. I’m looking forward to seeing how she is doing. Hopefully as the Italian package gets older and goto bee heaven, I will have a Saskatraz colony. :grinning:. It feels great to get some great responses in this forum.

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A good video you have taken of the orientation flying Dylan. As Tim says you will see that happening almost daily so take seeing that as a good sign of an expanding colony size and a good queen doing her thing.
Cheers

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Yes yes. Thank you so much @Peter48z it’s great to hear all the responses. I’m trying to make a vlog of my journey as a new BEEk and maybe I can pass all this info on to the next new BEEK. Greatly appreciated for your response as well as @Tim_Purdie again. :pray:

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