Bees clustering outside the hive

[willjones4]

Hello,

I've been beekeeping for 3 days so i have very little practical knowledge when it comes to bee behaviour. Since the swarm moved in i have had a fist sized cluster of bees on and around the ventilation cone of my WBC hive, this is larger during the day. I work shifts and checked the hive at 1am when i returned home, the cluster was still there but it was much smaller.

View attachment 10219

The rest of the hive seem to be going about their business, i see them fanning the entrance and returning with pollen, they seem more than happy and not aggressive in anyway. Are the bees just hot and trying to cool down or is there something i should be aware of. I have uploaded a photo to help.

Thank you for your help.

 

[enrico]

They think it's a way in and they can smell the pheromones from inside but can't understand why they can't get in!
Try knocking them off in front of the entrance and then tape a bit of paper over the ventilation for a while until they realise they should be using the entrance!
E

 

[HM Honey]

 

[REDWOOD]

I don't know your particular hive but as mentioned above Queen pheromones are keeping the bees there, possibility the crown board/feeder board has a hole in it thats not covered

 

[oliver90owner]

While that cone serves as some ventilation, its primary use is as an escape for bees which become trapped in the space between the outers and the boxes.

Are you sure the bees are in the box(es) and not setting up home by building comb from the roof?

 

[enrico]

Oh good point RAB ..... Did you remember to put the crown board on!
E

 

[willjones4]

Thank you.

The Crown board is definitely in place, i'm going to tape the vent up and see if that helps.

Thanks again!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hello,

I've been beekeeping for 3 days so i have very little practical knowledge when it comes to bee behaviour. Since the swarm moved in i have had a fist sized cluster of bees on and around the ventilation cone of my WBC hive, this is larger during the day. I work shifts and checked the hive at 1am when i returned home, the cluster was still there but it was much smaller.

View attachment 10219

The rest of the hive seem to be going about their business, i see them fanning the entrance and returning with pollen, they seem more than happy and not aggressive in anyway. Are the bees just hot and trying to cool down or is there something i should be aware of. I have uploaded a photo to help.

Thank you for your help.

Have you a poorly fitted or leaky crowbars so air is passing through the hive and out of the vent? Any airflow thus will carry the hive scent

 

[BeeJayBee]

Have you a poorly fitted or leaky crowbars ...

Predictive text has a lot to answer for!

 

[Skyhook]

Predictive text has a lot to answer for!

You haven't seen my carpentry. A lot of the problems with my hives are down to a poorly fitting crowbar.