I saw something today I never saw before and just have to share it with you. I so wish I would have some video footage.
Did a thorough inspection of our first hive today, shaking bees off frames and all to check the capped brood for signs of AFB. It was warm enough for the last proper inspection before winter. 23C.
All went well, plenty of brood, capped and uncapped. Didn’t see Queen Lala, but she is always hard to find. Both outside frames honey and pollen, the rest brood. They totally filled up 2 fresh foundationless frames that I swapped out 4 weeks ago fully.
QX and flow box still on, filling, we have a good flow on.
However, when I came back to the house, this rather small blond baby bee was crawling on my suit. She seemed pretty helpless, so I carried her back to the hive and put her onto the landing board. She almost crawled off to fall to the ground, so I had to push her back. Then some bees came to check her out, and suddenly that baby bee was nudged by about 7 bees towards the hive entry and lifted up onto the step and guided inside.
I never saw anything like it. It’s tough to always see a few bees killed during inspection, but a beekeeper must live with that. Then, just during the last week, I see dead bees in front of that particular hive and I know the bees are throwing them out. Many babies, about 8 every day. But they sure wanted to have this little one back.
Makes me think they know what they are doing.
Was awesome to see how gentle they were with her.
That’s today’s bee goodnight story. Sweet dreams to you all.
That’s a very interesting find n observation. She must have dropped off one of your frames n clinged to you ! Ain’t beekeeping full of amazing new things at times ?!?
Thankz for sharing,
Gerald.
Nature is surely amazing 
Blonde and helpless?
Must restrain myself…too many jokes coming to mind…lol
In the states, a blonde, helpless bee equals a potential virus carrying bee probably evicted by the hive or not able to find her way back due to disease. I assist those bees in crossing the rainbow bridge.
Hi @Anon. I was certain you were referring to blonde jokes?! To your credit, you didn’t proceed to tell us any. I had a chuckle anyway.
However, that little bee hid in a fold of my suit after I shook her there. And was thoroughly checked by the guards before ushered and heaved inside. That colony is Italians, they are all blond compared to my black beauty Carniolans.
We don’t have varroa here and as far as I am aware, my colonies’ brood doesn’t have any diseases.
What could have been wrong with her, considering they wanted her back?
That colony doesn’t hesitate at all to throw anything out that’s not 100%. They are bred for hygiene.
Two blondes walk into a bar, the brunette ducks.
A young brunette goes into the doctor’s office and says that her body hurts wherever she touches it.
“Impossible,” says the doctor. "Show me."
She takes her finger and pushes her elbow and screams in agony. She pushes her knee and screams, pushes her ankle and screams and so it goes on, everywhere she touches makes her scream.
The doctor says, "You’re not really a brunette, are you?"
She says, “No, I’m really a blonde.”
“I thought so,” he says. “Your finger is broken.”
Yep, looks like a frame busy hatching. What’s wrong with that little one?
Heavy viral load probably from mites. As she feeds developing larva, she’ll spread the virus.