# Odd Bee Behaviour

**URL:** <https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/odd-bee-behaviour/28973>\
**Category:** General Bee Chat\
**Created:** [January 11, 2021, 7:18am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/odd-bee-behaviour/28973 "2021-01-11T07:18:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![IanA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@IanA](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/IanA)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2021, 7:18am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/odd-bee-behaviour/28973/1 "2021-01-11T07:18:01Z")

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Today on several occasions I observed bees walking around on the landing board and tapping their abdomen up and down on the board as they walked. Only one bee at a time, but always when there were other bees nearby on the landing board.  
Can anyone shed light on this behaviour?

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**Author:** ![Bianca](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/bianca/32/23486_2.png) [@Bianca](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Bianca)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2021, 10:44pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/odd-bee-behaviour/28973/2 "2021-01-11T22:44:04Z")

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Hi @IanA

My only thought is that it could be washboarding - [Theories on Washboarding - #8 by RBK](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/theories-on-washboarding/9718/8)

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**Author:** ![IanA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@IanA](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/IanA)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/odd-bee-behaviour/28973/3 "2021-01-12T01:14:35Z")

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Hi @Bianca  
Thanks for your reply.  
The videos I have seen of bees washboarding appear to show the bees head down and working with their mandibles.  
The behaviour I observed is clearly with the action at the opposite end of their bodies. 😀  
Other than tapping the board with the tip of their abdomen they seem to be walking around normally.

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**Author:** ![Joshua\_Cromarty](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/joshua_cromarty/32/23587_2.png) [@Joshua\_Cromarty](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Joshua_Cromarty)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/odd-bee-behaviour/28973/4 "2021-01-13T15:18:35Z")

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We need a honey-bee to English translator. Don’t hold your breath on this one, **taps abdomen on couch**