Apiguard and bearding

[acabee]

Have had apiguard on for the last week. Took off entrance reducer for first 3 days. Bees ok for first few days.

Then replaced reducer. Bees now v unhappy. Have bearded all over front of hive during the day and night - including those with full pollen sacs. This strikes me as counter-productive as the pollen should be going into the hive! Also with cold nights forecast I'm concerned that this lot will just die outside. (Already quite a few bees dying on the roof / sides as 'refusing' to go inside - which is just great for wasps.)

I have removed the entrance reducer to reduce fumes a little in hope they might go in. But still bearded outside.

What to do? Discontinue apiguard or just leave them to it (and watch hundreds of healthy bees die / abscond??) Or try alternative treatment?

Hive is now moving to winter configuration:
roof
crown board
empty super as eke
BB with apiguard tray on on top of frames
super
floor


Thanks for your thoughts

acabee

 

[iHK]

Hi Acabee,

I found this on the manufacturer's website
15. Q: The bees are forming a beard at the entrance to the colony; does this mean the Apiguard is harming them?
A: Bees often form a beard when it’s just too hot inside the hive. However, they do this sometimes in hot conditions when Apiguard is first introduced to the hive as they are not used to the vapour that can build up quickly in hot conditions. This behaviour is usually temporary and the bees will go back into the hive. It is extremely rare for the bees to abscond.

The hot conditions could be caused by the entrance reducers making it hard for the bees to regulate the internal hive temperature.

iHK

 

[acabee]

thanks ihK.

I found that link too. I had not quite thought about the bearding arising from the inability of the bees being able to regulate themselves (other than to go outside because it was too hot inside). I was focussing more on external temperatures and thinking of apiguard being the main problem. So thanks for that.

Having taken the reducer off, the bees seem to have gone back inside. (This was not a congestion issue at the reduced entrance - this was a major camping out issue.)

It's a big strong colony, so am minded to leave them without the reducer till apiguard is done. I'm thinking they should be able to cope with any wasps - not so many this year (yet at least).

Happy to hear others' views on whether to have the reducer on/off in the above situation.

acabee