We’ve all seen honey bees fly in the rain. A light sprinkle or a short shower seems to have little effect on a foraging bee. On the other hand, a storm with heavy rainfall will keep the bees inside their hive. How do the honey bees decide when it’s safe to fly?.
We know that honey bees can tell what the weather will be like because of many studies and personal stories. When it comes to predicting rain, honey bees seem to be better than The Weather Channel. Not only can they predict it, but they can estimate its intensity. That’s why a light drizzle might not change the way they look for food, but a big storm might keep them inside.
As a beekeeper, you’re probably familiar with seeing your bees happily flying around on sunny days. But what happens when storm clouds roll in and the rain starts pouring? Can bees still fly in rainy conditions or does the rain ground them?
I decided to dive into the research on bees and rain to find out the answer, Here’s what I discovered about whether or not bees can fly in the rain
How Rain Impacts a Bee’s Ability to Fly
To understand if bees can fly in the rain, you first need to know how the rain physically impacts bees. Water affects a bee’s ability to fly in a few key ways:
-
Weight – Water droplets that accumulate on a bee’s body add extra weight This makes it harder to fly and tires the bee out faster,
-
Wing Beats – Bees flap their wings at incredibly fast speeds, around 230 beats per second. The raindrops can disrupt the aerodynamics of these rapid wing beats.
-
Visibility – Rain obscures a bee’s vision, making it harder for them to navigate back to the hive.
-
Temperature – Bees function best in warmer temperatures. Getting wet in the rain cools their bodies down rapidly.
These factors make it very difficult and dangerous for bees to fly in anything more than a very light rain or mist. But it depends on the intensity of the rainfall.
Light Rain or Drizzle
When there is only a light drizzle or mist, bees are generally able to continue flying. The small size and light weight of the water droplets don’t impede their flight too much.
However, even a light rain can start to accumulate and weigh a bee down over time. So they tend to limit their flights to quick trips during a drizzle.
In my own observations of my hives, I’ve noticed that bees will still readily fly in and out of the hive when there’s a very light rain or mist outside. But they don’t seem to stay out foraging for long periods when it’s drizzling.
Moderate to Heavy Rain
When the rain picks up from a drizzle to a steadier moderate or heavy rainfall, flying becomes very difficult and dangerous for bees.
With larger, heavier raindrops falling at a faster rate, bees struggle to stay airborne. The heavier weight of accumulated water on their bodies requires them to work harder to compensate. And the force of the thick raindrops can knock them off course.
Trying to fly in moderate or heavy rain will rapidly fatigue and chill bees. They often end up grounded, seeking shelter on the ground until the rain lets up enough for them to take off again.
I avoid opening up my hives in heavy rain because the bees are hunkered down inside staying dry. They do not fly in these conditions, even if I briefly expose the hive.
Swarming Bees in the Rain
An interesting exception is when a swarm of bees gets caught in the rain. While individual bees struggle in the rain, a swarm can actually better maintain flight in rain.
The clumped, flying swarm creates a collective body that’s large enough to push through rain drops. So swarms are sometimes able to continue flying to their new home even if it starts pouring mid-flight.
However, rain will still impair and slow down a swarm. And they may stop on branches or structures to wait out heavier rain if they can. But a swarm has a better chance of flying in rain than a single bee does.
Can Bees Get Stranded in the Rain?
Bees caught outside during a sudden downpour are at risk of becoming stranded. Since they have difficulty flying in rain, they often cannot make it back to the hive if they get caught out.
Instead, stranded bees will seek emergency shelter anywhere they can find it. You may see them gathered under leaves, branches, bushes, or rooftops if a storm hits suddenly while they are out foraging.
Most stranded bees can survive a day or two until the rain lets up. Then they can take off from their shelter and return to the hive. But their chances of survival start dropping if they are stuck in the rain for longer periods.
As a beekeeper, it’s heartbreaking to see bees stranded after an unexpected storm. But there is unfortunately little you can do to help besides waiting for conditions to improve. They are usually too high up or scattered for rescue.
Tips for Protecting Bees in the Rain
While bees instinctively know to avoid flying in heavy rain, here are a few tips for beesafety when rainy weather hits:
-
Avoid opening up hives unnecessarily in rain to prevent chilling the bees.
-
Make sure hive entrances are not blocked so bees can come and go when there is a break in rain.
-
Ensure hives have proper ventilation to prevent excessive moisture buildup inside.
-
Weigh down hive tops with bricks to prevent wind from blowing them off.
-
Monitor food supplies and supplement with sugar water if rain keeps bees in for long periods.
-
On milder days, wrap hives in black tar paper to help bees warm up faster between rain showers.
The Bottom Line
Bees work harder before a storm
In a more recent study called “RFID Monitoring Indicates Honeybees Work Harder Before a Rainy Day”2, researchers put RFID tags on honey bees to keep track of what they did to find food. They found that honey bees spent more time foraging on days immediately before a significant storm. Furthermore, they found that honey bees worked later into the evening the day before a storm. What they think happens is that the bees “know” that food will be scarce during stormy weather, so they work harder before the storm.
Based on past research, like the one on defensive behavior, these researchers think that honey bees can guess the weather by looking at the temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and carbon dioxide levels. Many animals are able to predict inclement weather, just as we humans often do. We say things like, “Feels like rain” or “Smells like snow,” probably due to similar environmental signals.
Bad weather can trigger defensiveness
Researchers wrote a paper called “The Effects of Meteorological Factors on Defensive Behavior of Honey Bees”1 and found that honey bees are more defensive when bad weather is coming. The writers discovered that these increases in defense were mostly caused by weather conditions like temperature, humidity, wind speed, barometric pressure, and the amount of sunlight.
Some beekeepers think that the bees are becoming more defensive because they “know” they need to protect their food stores for when times get tough. Since honey bees are always “mindful” of the future, they increase the defense of their food stores.
Can Bees Fly In The Rain?
FAQ
Can bees fly when it’s raining?
Will bees sting you in the rain?
What to do when you find a bee in the rain?
What happens to bees in the rain?
How do bees weather storms?
There are several things that bees naturally do that help them weather storms. One thing they do is fill any creases and crevices with propolis. The propolis acts as a glue to secure the hive. Therefore, if the hive is brand new it won’t be as secure as a hive whose bees have had time to properly secure their home.
Can honey bees fly in the rain?
Yes, but wet honey bee wings become heavy making flying more difficult. This causes wing beats per minute to decrease and water droplets adhere to the honey bee’s body fuzz – the extra weight requires more energy to remain in motion. While bees can fly in the rain, at least to a degree, they realize it is risky.
Do bumblebees take flight when it rains?
Bumblebees are more likely to forage during rainy days than other species like the honeybee that will opt to stay inside the hive during precipitation. So how do bees behave during and after rains, how much rain is too much for a bee to take flight and what can you do to help the bees in your hive.
Do bees avoid rain?
Bees have an advanced avoidance system and will always dodge the wet weather rather than risk getting caught in it. If a bee is outside in heavy rain, it will seek shelter until the storm passes rather than run the gauntlet of a further drenching when trying to return to the hive. Do bees differ from wasps and hornets?
What happens if a field bee flies in the rain?
For the field bees, flying in the rain may require more energy than she has. She may not be able to make it back to the hive and actually fall to the ground. Even if the bee is able to remain in flight during rain, she may become so exhausted that she can not make it back to the hive entrance. Requiring her to seek shelter in plant leaves, etc.
What if a bee gets caught in the rain?
Bees are like tiny helicopters; they need their wings to be light and dry to lift off and buzz around. If a bee does get caught in the rain and gets wet, it will seek shelter on a plant or tree and wait for its wings to dry.