After queen move I have a wall of bees on the porch

[JonnyPicklechin]

Hi

Just performed a queen move to exercise an artificial swarm with the queen happy with her brood, stores and young bees in her NUC.

However after the commotion of the search for QCs, following reassembly of the hive I had a large number of bees on the landing board and porch of my WBC. They have formed a "wall" over the entrance doing their linking-hanging thing (sorry if there is a word for it). I decided to leave them overnight in the hope they would enter the hive during the colder night, but instead they have stayed there. I took the outers off this morning to see if there was any issues with the entrance but all seems OK. I did notice others also hanging also on the inside of the outers in the same fashion.

I see foragers coming and going this morning. Is this a symptom of a queenless hive or something else to be concerned with??

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

This ones made everyone quiet for some reason. Anyone got any advice or knowledge? Ta.

 

[Uncle Betty]

This ones made everyone quiet for some reason. Anyone got any advice or knowledge? Ta.

It sounds like they're festooning, but I thought that behaviour was to do with comb-building. Doesn't tally in this case though.

Just an observation, really, but what you describe doesn't sound like an Artificial Swarm.

 

[Pmatthews]

Does this help?

https://honeybeesuite.com/bearding-is-often-confused-with-swarming/

 

[enrico]

I presume you did move the queen and didn't drop her! I get bearding in hot weather but yours sounds different, I would gently drop them into a container and put them back in the top of the brood box. You don't want them building comb on the outside of your hive.
E

 

[Millet]

Probably a silly idea but you have not squashed the Queen or another Virgin Queen under the crown board or between a brood box and super or (in between the outers) , i thought about that idea with you saying they are clustering inside and out.?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi

Just performed a queen move to exercise an artificial swarm with the queen happy with her brood, stores and young bees in her NUC.

However after the commotion of the search for QCs, following reassembly of the hive I had a large number of bees on the landing board and porch of my WBC. They have formed a "wall" over the entrance doing their linking-hanging thing (sorry if there is a word for it). I decided to leave them overnight in the hope they would enter the hive during the colder night, but instead they have stayed there. I took the outers off this morning to see if there was any issues with the entrance but all seems OK. I did notice others also hanging also on the inside of the outers in the same fashion.

I see foragers coming and going this morning. Is this a symptom of a queenless hive or something else to be concerned with??

As I read your message, you have transferred the queen and some frames with brood and bees into a nuc leaving your original hive in the original site. Presumably filling the gaps up with frames of foundation?
You have queen cells in the original hive or are waiting for the bees to create some?
I'm wondering how your bees are accessing the space between the outers and the inner boxes. Is the hive assembled correctly?

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Hi all

Just as an update and some answers:

1. The bees cleared themselves and all is back to normal. I wondered if it is just that the hive was well populated. I have added two more supers.
2. I took the frame with the queen with brood, another with brood and stores and then one with stores. I completed the NUC with 3 more frames of foundation.
3. The hive is assembled OK.
4. I destroyed all QCs except one.

All that seems to be left now is to check again the main original hive 7 days after the split (this Thursday) and review the QC situation?

Thanks as always...