Why are my bees gathering under hive in a large cluster. Almost a 3lb. package

[Packrat3wires]

4th year beekeeper with 18 hives currently.   I built hive stands that are 8 feet long, about 1 foot tall and have several hives per stand in my Apiary.    I did the same thing at my parents farm 10 miles away and have 4 more hives  there.  Last week a did a quick visual check of both locations and I found I have 1 hive at each location with a very large swarm nestled under the screened bottom board.    I would say it is close to a 3lb package or 10k worth of bees.   Checked again today and they are still there in the same locations.    Temperature's have been running low 80's during the day and mid 50's at night.   Golden rod is in full bloom.   Any ideas what is going on?    If it was a swarm wouldn't they have flown off by now and since they hadn't should I try to put them in a couple of my spare nucs or just leave them alone?

[KeyLargoBees]

Any Rain? Hive population high? I have seen bees cluster under the hive to stay out of the weather...when there is little or no room in the hive

Could be something else but here in the Florida Keys I do know hot ...and rain ;-P

[OldMech]

If the queen left the hive for any reason she may be under there with no knowledge of getting back in. I have seen some pretty fantastic comb built on screened bottom boards. In some cases there was no queen, just confused bees. Because of the exact issue your speaking of in hives I have helped deal with I do not use screened bottom boards.
    Do you have the insert in the bottom board or is the screen open? Closing it if it is open may help them re orient on the entrance rather than under it. Worst case... put a solid bottom board on the hive and shake the bees off the old screened bottom board in front of that hive, they should return to the entrance, as the solid bottom does not let the smell/pheromones pass through like the screened board does.
   It may also just be bearding? Is it hot out?

[Packrat3wires]

No rain in over a week here in West Kentucky.    Sunny and mid 80's during the day and mid 50's at night.   

[BeeMaster2]

You probably have comb being built under there. Like Oldmech said, the sometimes get confused. Remove it and see if there are eggs. If they are there, your queen is there. See if there is any eggs in the hive, if noneput herback in the hive.
I use SBB but I also have oil pans under all of my hives. I have never had this problem. The pans keep them from being confused.
Jim

[mtnb]

You probably have comb being built under there. Like Oldmech said, the sometimes get confused. Remove it and see if there are eggs. If they are there, your queen is there. See if there is any eggs in the hive, if noneput herback in the hive.
I use SBB but I also have oil pans under all of my hives. I have never had this problem. The pans keep them from being confused.
Jim

What Jim? How do the oil pans help them from being confused? ...like I am, right now lol

[BeeMaster2]

MT Girl,
The pan is a barrier to their pheromones. With just a screen, something that does not exist in nature, it seems like they are right against the hive, especially when the bees inside the hive are clustering just above the screen.
The bees in my observation hive are clustered all the way down to the screen.
Jim