Bearding behaviour

[elainemary]

Got a v nice flow in all my apiaries at the moment in this hot weather. Been observing one colony at home that has been bearding most of the week. Big ‘drops’ of bees hanging from the landing board and some on the corners underneath the hive legs and also on the floor on front of the hive.

It’s in an old thick Wbc pine hive , on double brood (7 frames over 7), with around 10-12 frames brood, 2 supers and I added a 3rd earlier in the week, as the first 2 set up for the heather are filling well. Seem to have enough space and I keep thick kingspan insulation above the crownboard. The roof is a thick pine one not metal. I’m 1000 ft up in the south Pennines and the hive whilst south facing is close to a few trees and bushes.

No other hive of similar size are doing this and they don’t seem to be excessively fanning just hanging out or grooming or clustering quietly. Just wondered if anyone else has watched this type of behaviour and what conclusions they’ve reached?

 

[Murox]

The only time I've seen them doing that is in the late afternoons and evenings, my guess is to do with foragers creating more space for air movement inside for the drying of honey, still a lot of drones lazing about inside too no doubt. Does that fit your observations?

 

[Delgirl]

One of my hives has been doing this too all season. Masses of bees regularly outside poly hive day and night which had exploded with lots of bees early on. Filled supers quickly but still hanging out. Maybe a genetic thing as other hives did not do it but healthy numbers of bees.

 

[Buzzo]

have the same every night ,normally by entrance but occasionally Underneath the hive as well.

 

[elainemary]

The only time I've seen them doing that is in the late afternoons and evenings, my guess is to do with foragers creating more space for air movement inside for the drying of honey, still a lot of drones lazing about inside too no doubt. Does that fit your observations?

Good theory re making room for air movement. I’m not worried about it just curious what’s driving the behaviour. Big clump of bees on the concrete floor in front of the hive at 7am this morning. Must have been there overnight. No disease or worries there but just a bit odd.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Good theory re making room for air movement

not just theory - it's a fact

 

[nickdyson]

I have one hive that has been doing the same for last 2 weeks. Started in hotter weather, so I thought thatcwas reasonable. I've checked them and normal activity inside. I've given them more space and put some 2mm spacers between crown board and roof to increase ventilation, but they continue in spiteof cooler weather. Entrance is facing a hedge, beard is on the rear. I'm perplexed!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

put some 2mm spacers between crown board and roof to increase ventilation,

Noooooooo!

 

[Garry R]

Are they on open mesh floors?

 

[drex]

Noooooooo!

In a natural tree cavity bees choose a home with a single hole. They do not want a through draft, so why create one. They are experts at thermoregulation

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Exactly - the bearding behaviour is a commonsense manoeuvre by the bees. All leaving a gaping hole at the top of the hive does is b*gger up their carefully manipulated air/heat circulation system.
The bees are bearding, not because they are overheating, but because they need room in the hive to ripen the honey. Especially in the evenings, with most foragers are back home having a rest, the hive is pretty packed, but the ripening bees need plenty of open space to circulate air around the comb and take away unneeded moisture, so the bees who are not doing the ripening, but just resting move to the outside of the hive to allow more room for air circulation. 'cracking' the crownboard serves no purpose apart from making more work for the bees.
If I don't see any bees bearding during a time of a decent nectar flow - I start worrying.

 

[Garry R]

The long hive I showed yesterday and now here is really large - 30 national deep frames but has a tiny entrance for its size in comparison to a fully open national vertical colpny. It consists of 3 x 25mm diameter holes. It does however have two sections of open mesh flooring. The colony is in effect 3 polyhives in one and has a 50mm kingspan crown board cover and a reinforced polythene sheet directly on the frame tops. What I am saying is that there is a load of insulation and the through ventilation is next to nothing. However there is no bearding so basically that behaviour isn't in this case induced by heat or overcrowding which should be present in spades. One thought though - does the polystyrene insulate from the heat outside in summer?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

. I've given them more space and put some 2mm spacers between crown board and roof to increase ventilation,

No matter how many times this practice is condemned it still gets promoted ad nauseum

 

[user 819]

Noooooooo!

He must be a BBKA matchstick man.

 

[nickdyson]

I have one hive that has been doing the same for last 2 weeks. Started in hotter weather, so I thought thatcwas reasonable. I've checked them and normal activity inside. I've given them more space and put some 2mm spacers between crown board and roof to increase ventilation, but they continue in spiteof cooler weather. Entrance is facing a hedge, beard is on the rear. I'm perplexed!

Thanks for all the replies. It just shows that after several years of beekeeping there is always plenty more to learn. Yes, I am a "BBKA matchstick man". Will remove spacers at next opportunity.

 

[nickdyson]

In a natural tree cavity bees choose a home with a single hole. They do not want a through draft, so why create one. They are experts at thermoregulation

Does that mean you should cover up feeder holes in crown boards when not using a feeder?

 

[nickdyson]

Are they on open mesh floors?

Yes

 

[E&MBees]

Does that mean you should cover up feeder holes in crown boards when not using a feeder?

Yes, definitely.
Have you got insulation in the roof? It makes a huge difference to the bees. I’ve skip dived or acquired from freecycle all of my PIR needed for my hives.

 

[Garry R]

Yes, definitely.
Have you got insulation in the roof? It makes a huge difference to the bees. I’ve skip dived or acquired from freecycle all of my PIR needed for my hives.

Hugely agree - they will draw out comb like fun if there is polystyrene in the roof. Makes sense too - less energy needed to keep warm hence lower feed requirements in winter less condensation. Also poly hives are de rigeur in my apiary. The long wooden hives I made are double walled - pallet boards, sheet polystyrene and plywood inner. Works a treat. Keep your bees warm and you will be rewarded. I keep harping on about this but my oldest poly hive is now 46 years old and despite the environmentalists banging on about eco disasters I do wonder how much energy has gone into making the number of wooden hives/boxes (nail production, glue, electricity consumption for cutting and planing, preservative for pine hives etc) which may have rotted away during that period of time through lack of care. J'arrete ma valise (I rest my case).

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Does that mean you should cover up feeder holes in crown boards when not using a feeder?

Yes. Pedantically a crownboard shouldn't have holes but nearly everyone I know compromises by using a feeder board with hole(s) and covers the feed hole when not feeding. Semantics can be entertaining