Strange behavior - poss. paralysis virus?

[ArlingtonBeek]

I have been out of town for the last two weeks, came home Saturday evening being chased by hurricane Irene - checked both my hives and noticed that both had hundreds of bee's crowding/blocking the entrance almost as if forming a bee wall to keep the rain and wind out.

I covered the front entrance for the night to protect them against the storm.

checking the hives the following day we noticed dozens if not hundreds of bee's on the ground 3-8 feet away from one of the hives. The bee's appear to lethargic, are walking/climbing but not flying.

This morning we noticed less bee's about and on the ground - but still a fair number. And they seem to be gathered in small groups of 4-5 bee's facing each other.

I have examined them closely and cannot determine a direct cause for any of this behavior. They do not seem capable of flying but overall do not seem to have any of the other telltale signs of paralysis virus.

So I would appreciate any thoughts from the crowd -

are they sick?

are they simply recovering (or not) from a serious drubbing?

or are they...?

Thanks

Gregg

[Michael Bush]

Maybe they got caught out in the storm?

[ArlingtonBeek]

well that's what I'm wondering.

I am unfamiliar with bee behavior, if they do get drenched do they dry off are do they sit around waterlogged?

And if they get soaked does it render them flightless?

I have looked at them quite closely and it does not appear as though there is anything different between the ones on the ground and the ones coming and going from the hive.

[b reeves]

I had a call a couple of years ago, they had 300 to 400 bees dead and dying on their driveway, followed their bodies to a tree with a hive in it same symptoms, I thought it could of been three things, IPV, poison, no food, I thought IPV was the most likely, eventually the hive died, hopefully the susceptibility to the virus is from the drone she is using now and not from the queen herself
good luck
Bob

[Michael Bush]

I have seen it once in a hive in someone else's yard.  In addition to the crawling etc, The bees were black and shiny.  It was the only affected hive in a yard of 30 hives or so.

[ArlingtonBeek]

Well it seems to be clearing up - only a dozen or so bee's in the yard now and they seem to be in same groups as when initially spotted. The bee's do not exhibit any of the other symptoms associated with IPV, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The hive looks to be doing well and I plan to do a deep inspection this weekend.

Thanks all for the input.

Gregg