Bees clustering under mesh floor

[Liam C Ryan]

Has anybody any idea why some bees are clustering under the floor of one of my hives . The hive was left with one queen cell about 3 weeks ago but I have not seen a queen or eggs yet. I checked about an hour ago and lots of bees have stayed outside the hive under the mesh floor.
Regards
Liam C

 

[tidymeup]

Your queen could have been out on a mating flight and lost her way and ended up under the mesh floor.

 

[flotess]

Liam,
How many bees? Are we talking hundreds? I have a dozen or so doing that and just presumed they wanted to cool down yet stay in contact with the queen!?!
Mark

 

[Foxylad]

Brush the bees off replace the varroa floor.

Remove the entrance block if it still in place.

 

[rook66]

Has anybody any idea why some bees are clustering under the floor of one of my hives . The hive was left with one queen cell about 3 weeks ago but I have not seen a queen or eggs yet. I checked about an hour ago and lots of bees have stayed outside the hive under the mesh floor.
Regards
Liam C

If there are a lot of bees, it is probably a cast. There could have been an emerged Queen in the hive when you left the single cell.

 

[Liam C Ryan]

There are a few hundred bees under the floor for the last two nights. Will brush them off today and see what happens.

 

[Foxylad]

You could brush them into a Nuc box, if they start fanning it maybe a cast.

OR. They could return to the hive.

You will probably find with out putting in the varroa board they will fry straight back under the floor.

 

[Mosquito]

They could be just cooling down from the heat.
If it's a hot day and hot night I often see loads of bee out side of the hive.

 

[adrian wilford]

i find that sometimes the bees miss the entrance and gather under the mesh, place a board from the ground to under the entrance so they have to go up and into the hive usually works

 

[Liam C Ryan]

Brushed bees of the mesh floor and a queen started running around on the ground ,by the time I got a small box to catch her she was flying around, landed on the landing board and after a lot of excitement with the bees she diapered into the hive. Tonight all bees are gone into the hive.