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Hanging cluster from front of hive

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firefly:
I've had my first hive in 20+ yrs. started now for about 6 wks. They are doing great.

But they're doing something today I've never observed before with the dozen or so hobby hives I used to have.  They are hanging in strings and clusters off of the front of the hive--about 3 six inch clusters.

If memory serves, bees hang on each other in strings to build beeswax. But I've never seen them doing it from the front of the hive--off the landing platform.

Is there anything unusual that this might be indicating?

Finman:

--- Quote from: firefly ---I've had my first hive in 20+ yrs. started now for about 6 wks. They are doing great.

But they're doing something today I've never observed before with the dozen or so hobby hives I used to have.  They are hanging in strings and clusters off of the front of the hive--about 3 six inch clusters.

Is there anything unusual that this might be indicating?
--- End quote ---


1) Nest is full of honey
 2) Too little space
3) Too little ventilation
4) Too good honey flow

See what is inside. Do they have queen cells?
Put more supers
Put entrance wider

Lear about situation and the sign. See inside.

asleitch:
Use open mesh floor to improve ventilation in the hive. Sounds like they are too hot.

Adam

beemaster:
Hi Firefly:

You are seeing bearding - several good topics - including one I wrote just a few days ago are in the SEARCH FEATURE - here are a few I looked up for you.

http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=773&highlight=bearding
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=850&highlight=bee+bearding
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=844&highlight=bee+bearding
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=70&highlight=bee+bearding

These explain it in better detail than I can recap. It is a ventilation thing - a cooling method after the buildup of heat i the hive throughout a hot day. Generally you see it in the evening and it goes away into the early morning hours.

It very could be a swarming indicator or could be a temporary process to get them through a heat wave. Hope the articles help - they have a lot of responces.

Anonymous:
Thanks.

About 5 days ago I opened the hive box to peek into how they were doing. They had filled about 5 frames in six weeks from foundation-sheet frames.  So, they have expansion space. I also placed a shallow super on top with with queen extractor.

Sound, then, like ventilation.  I bought Dadant hive parts and the opening is only obstructed by the sugar feeder.  The box does get full sun in the after noons for about 4-5 hrs, otherwise, it's shaded. Maybe they need full shade.

I've been wondering about ventilation and it seems to me that the standard hive isn't designed with ventilation in mind--which seems a little absurd.

If I were to build a box and put ventilation holes in the sides, covered with screen, would the bees close these screens off and seal the holes?

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