Orientation flights of honey bees

ORIENTATION FLIGHTS

When a hive of bees in the afternoon (3:00 to 4:00 p.m.) starts playing around the hive like a small swarm 4 feet wide and 6 feet high, what does this mean?

The play flights that you were observing between 3 and 4 in the afternoon were undoubtedly orientation flights by the young bees. This gives the young bees who are just learning the field work a chance to become oriented to the location of the hive so they can find their way back later.