bees clustering outside hive?

[Niall]

Hi all,

We took delivery of our first nuc at the beginning of June. Since then all has been good. In fact so good they hardly ate the sugar syrup. We put a super on about the early part of July.

We went away for two weeks came back on Sunday and checked the hive on Monday. The Broodbox was full and I found the queen on the first frame I checked, being in the middle.

The super has about 5 capped frames with 3 uncapped of honey. Was very pleased at that.

Yesterday I noticed two small clusters of bees at the entrance to the hive and today the numbers have multiplied 4 fold. Haven't seen any evidence of Bumble bees. Can anyone offer a suggestion?

Thanks

Niall

 

[oxo]

They probably need more room, put another super on

 

[BCBEE]

Hi this is fairly normal especially in the warm weather. Mine also do it. You will find they go back inside when it gets cooler.

I think its part fanning to keep the hive cool and part just coming out for a fag and a breather.Mine are out in the middle of the night.
Tonight they are all in but on the bottom of the box

Phill

 

[Arfermo]

They probably need more room, put another super on

Too late for adding supers for brood purposes or honey production. Leave alone as there is practically no chance so late in the season for swarming and the strength of the colony will soon decline anyway. Think about treating for varroa within the next 2 weeks.

 

[VEG]

Mine are drawing out supers at the moment

 

[Lorenz]

I agree with Arfermo. Testing/treating for varroa is priority. You don't want supers on now. Just make sure that they are not backfilling the brood nest so that there is nowhere for the queen to lay the eggs for the Winter bees.

 

[Hivemaker.]

You don't want supers on now..

Better rush off and remove all the supers from the bees that have just been moved to the moors for the heather then.

 

[Lorenz]

If only I could take my bees to the heather.

I guess that means that you won't be giving them an autumn thymol treatment then. Did you treat with thymol before the heather or something else?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Yes they will be getting treated when they return,late september,lots of others are still adding supers for flows from the likes of HB as well,so won't be treating until later.

And by some of the posts on here there are still bees in swarming mode...Afermo.

 

[susbees]

Yes they will be getting treated when they return,late september,lots of others are still adding supers for flows from the likes of HB as well,so won't be treating until later.

No treatments til September here either. Boards in for a week at the minute for an informed choice

 

[Lorenz]

I'm going for early treatment partly to maximise the odds of them filling the BBs with ivy honey and saving me money on sugar.

 

[Andy Duff]

Better rush off and remove all the supers from the bees that have just been moved to the moors for the heather then.

So how do I stop our bees from going half a mile to the moors, so I can take the supers off

 

[user 6228]

After making sure they have enough room, reduce the heat gain from the sun.
You can do this by : giving shade , painting the hives white, or gluing (pva) aluminum foil on the outside surface, adding insulation.

if the surface of your hive in the sun feels hot to the touch, then a proportion of that heat will be getting inside

My shiny kingspan hive with insulated solid floors havent had any bearding this year so far.

 

[Niall]

Thanks Guys for all your advice and comments. Had a look at the girls a few minutes ago, 1.30pm and all seems well. Disaster averted

Off to purchase the finest Varroa for the little darlings

Very impressed with the quality of the replies and the volume. Brilliant community forum



Thanks again

Niall