Bearding in the rain overnight !

[alexandrahulme]

hello all - any advice / insight appreciated .

10 days ago I split my strong hive (pagden) leaving queen/flying bees and 2 frames of BIAS on the original site with the original
2 supers ( 1 full ). I was expecting the hive to swarm at first opportunity this season and on inspection they had started to
Build /charge a few qc’s so that was my cue ! … anyway yesterday I came home to them bearding …at 3 am I woke with the rain and went out and they are still there … this morning no change …. Why would they beard overnight in heavy rain ??? Especially whilst the hive is relatively empty ( or was 10 days ago ! )

many advice /insight and/or guidance on whatto do next welcome Thinking should I creating a canopy shelter ?

see photo


ps they are on the bench as we are resiting the hives … feet every few days

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is your queen under there? Is she clipped and they swarmed anyway and she managed to crawl under the floor?

 

[alexandrahulme]

Is your queen under there? Is she clipped and they swarmed anyway and she managed to crawl under the floor?

Hi Erichalfbee - thanks for your reply ! I know right! It looks like a swarm ball but my queen isn’t clipped …so if they really wanted to go why hang around BUT why would they swarm with so little in the brood chamber ? …

 

[Boston Bees]

Hi Erichalfbee - thanks for your reply ! I know right! It looks like a swarm ball but my queen isn’t clipped …so if they really wanted to go why hang around BUT why would they swarm with so little in the brood chamber ? …

Could she have got somehow confused in all the kerfuffle of the Pagden (she could have dropped off the frame you were transferring over), crawled underneath the hive, and got herself on the underside of the open mesh floor? That would be my guess.

 

[alexandrahulme]

Could she have got somehow confused in all the kerfuffle of the Pagden (she could have dropped off the frame you were transferring over), crawled underneath the hive, and got herself on the underside of the open mesh floor? That would be my guess.

Thanks for your response Boston bees -the shape this morning certainly looks like she may be in the middle there - just weird to wait 10 days for this ? Do you think I should try and scoop them up and drop them into the hive then !? Think I need to erect a canopy first rise they are going to drown if they are out there much longer- still raining !!

 

[Boston Bees]

Do you think I should try and scoop them up and drop them into the hive then !?

This is what I would do, yes.

The 10 day thing is weird though, as you say. But I would scoop them in - if they are under there too long they will start to build wax, which can be chaos to get them out of.

 

[alexandrahulme]

This is what I would do, yes.

The 10 day thing is weird though, as you say. But I would scoop them in - if they are under there too long they will start to build wax, which can be chaos to get them out of.

thank you - appreciate the advice …( better get out there then ! ️ )

 

[alexandrahulme]

Well that took longer than I anticipated ! Idea was to scoop and pop in the top but then thought ooo rather pop in
The brood box in case Q is on the middle - supers were soooo heavy took those off first , brood box rammed too so put on a fresh super and made into brood n a half dropped over 5 litres of bees in from under the hive , stuck the supers back on then realised there were perhaps another 3 litres sat under the mesh on top of bench so had to repeat the full exercise but syrup back to the floor so I could get to them … 50 mins later …. So maybe just because there were soooo many bees in there - tried to give more space but not sure it’s laying space that’s needed just sooooo many flying bees … anyway thanks for the the advice from ericthehalfbee and Bostonbees - I’ve closed them up - until a dryer day for hunt the queen and see what’s in the brood box.
Thanks again !

 

[alexandrahulme]

Well that took longer than I anticipated ! Idea was to scoop and pop in the top but then thought ooo rather pop in
The brood box in case Q is on the middle - supers were soooo heavy took those off first , brood box rammed too so put on a fresh super and made into brood n a half dropped over 5 litres of bees in from under the hive , stuck the supers back on then realised there were perhaps another 3 litres sat under the mesh on top of bench so had to repeat the full exercise but syrup back to the floor so I could get to them … 50 mins later …. So maybe just because there were soooo many bees in there - tried to give more space but not sure it’s laying space that’s needed just sooooo many flying bees … anyway thanks for the the advice from ericthehalfbee and Bostonbees - I’ve closed them up - until a dryer day for hunt the queen and see what’s in the brood box.
Thanks again !