Bees gathering on outside of OMF?

[malawi2854]

Hello all,

On the underside of my hive, I have a collection of bees that sit on the underside (outside the hive) of the OMF.
Being a Beehaus, beneath the OMF is a gap of around 2", then an inspection board.

They don't appear to be doing a great deal under there - I just wondered if it was normal to have bees sitting on the wrong side of an OMF?

Also - on a side note - should I leave the inspection board in all the time - or should it be removed most of the time - only being inserted when I wish to count mite drop?

 

[enrico]

This one has come up before. The bees are flying under your hive and cant get through the OMF They don't realise that it is any different to a queen excluder. Make sure that the front of your hive is solid from the landing area to the ground to stop them flying underneath accidentally. That usually stops the problem. If not then 'apron' the sides too.
They are doing no harm but they are doing no good underneath!
Best wishes

 

[enrico]

Inspection board should only go on when you want to count mites... Give the bees as much air as possible by removing it most of the time. (May be worth putting on on cold windy days in winter!

 

[Heather]

Sure your queen in the brood box?? Worth a check.
Otherwise some do gather there as they pick up pheromones and seem to keep close by- albeit the wrong side of the blanket!! Do they go in when cooler?

Inspection board out most of the time- espec when hot weather- ventilation important for bee health.. Just if you feel there may be mite problem= in for 3 days to assess.

Whilst on the subject of bees behaviour out of the hive - yesterday 1 colony- about 100 just slowly meandering around the entrance in full sun. not fanning, not just arrived from foraging, not new bees orientating, not sign of CPV - just there! ? reason

 

[oliver90owner]

Enrico,

That 'inspection' board is simply a 'joke'. It could be left on all the time and make no difference!


malawi2854,

As above, but that board is almost a waste of time for counting mites if there is any amount of wind (it's a wonder you have not lost it already if you have a windy site!)

It may afford some protection for bees clustering under the OMF overnight, but that is not a 'normal' situation.

Regards to both, RAB

 

[Heather]

Not sure I agree.. it gets mouldy ? bacteria, collecting damp and never ever had one blow away...
And if on for 3 days only mites collected and great to show new bee keepers who haven't a clue what a mite really looks like

 

[oliver90owner]

How many beehauses you got, Heather?

RAB

 

[Heather]

Ah! None- I am a national lady- so you have identified another problem with Beehaus

 

[oliver90owner]

Ah! None

In that case, unless you have actually seen and inspected underneath one, you would have no idea of the 'joke' varroa inspection board and it's arrangement. I have. Post #5 is an accurate assessment (IMO) and I stand by that information.

That is why I much prefer my Dartingtons.

RAB

 

[malawi2854]

Thanks all for your help - all interesting points.

I can't guarantee the queen is in the brood box - apart from the presence of eggs - I still have yet to find her... she is one VERY elusive lady!
I'm relatively sure she is though!

I've not lost the inspection board to wind... although it is in a garden surrounded by trees - so not very windy at all.

I'm not usually there at bee-bed-time, but certainly during the cooler weeks earlier in the year, there were no bees on the outside, so maybe it is just a warm-weather thing.

I will certainly given "aproning" the front a go... certainly, I've seen a few bees overshoot the entrace on their approach, and go straight underneath!

Bless them!


Thanks again all.

 

[Heather]

Women navigating... , I understand fully--my only fault though ,

 

[enrico]

Sorry RAB, missed the beehause bit!!! never seen one or heard of one and didn't realise that the inspection floor was a different fit to any other hive .....Silly me!

 

[oliver90owner]

Enrico

fit

That is not a description I would use. Attached loosely fits the bill.

Two ways to read that. Both could easily be correct. That is why I call it a 'joke'.

Regards, RAB

 

[Midland Beek]

They don't appear to be doing a great deal under there - I just wondered if it was normal to have bees sitting on the wrong side of an OMF??

I would not be too concerned that the queen has someway made it to the outside of the hive. However, it is a possibility. If a queen ends up outside the hive it usually comes about from an inspection - queen drops off frame type of thing - assuming there is no swarming dimension.

I am not familiar with Beehaus hives, but bees do sometimes cluster under an OMF floor. Your hive might be poorly ventilated, in which case there might well be a need to increase the size of the entrance. And I am sure some bees work out that is easier to offload nectar through the OMF rather than crawling through the entrance - too small an entrance again.

 

[user 6228]

We had this clustering on our national on a high stand (500mm) . We solved it by attaching a second mesh to the bottom of floor section and extending the alighting ramp with some fine green plastic mesh . The number of go arounds and falling off the alighting areA is considerably reduced.

 

[BBG]

Also - on a side note - should I leave the inspection board in all the time - or should it be removed most of the time - only being inserted when I wish to count mite drop?

Not sure if they're the same system as those from MB but here's a quote from their site. I have noticed that a great deal of moisture gathers on the board when left in. This would make conditions in the hive pretty grim if left for more than the 3/4 recommended days for a varroa check.

As for wind, of course smear some cooking oil on to retain what ever falls out and wash off when test finished.

From MB site:
"In use, leave out the varroa tray all year round, except for short periods of monitoring mite levels. This recommendation has been proven in Scotland where several hundred polystyrene*hives suffered negligible winter losses following this regime. Bees are not killed by cold (they will cluster to keep warm) but confined, damp conditions are ideal breeding grounds for disease.

In summer leaving out the tray allows improved ventilation to the hive which should reduce swarming induced by over-heating. If housing a swarm replace the varroa tray for the first few days to ensure the hive is as dark as possible to help the bees settle down. Then remove it to aid ventilation. In cold areas the varroa tray can also be replaced in the early spring to aid build-up."

Here.
http://tinyurl.com/6fj85my

Should help keep the chalk brood at bay?

 

[fincaazul]

Not sure I agree.. it gets mouldy ? bacteria, collecting damp and never ever had one blow away...
And if on for 3 days only mites collected and great to show new bee keepers who haven't a clue what a mite really looks like

What was situation when everyone had solid floors, admittedly in pre varroa days, but regular cleaning of floor was neccesary, and not a pleasant job.

 

[oliver90owner]

BBG,

It is fairly apparent that you have not actually seen the particular installation of an underboard on a beehaus. Believe me when I say it is a joke. It is certainly not airtight with a large gap around the thing. The early ones blew off and plastic edge runners were added to make it more rigid (and a little heavier), but it remains a fairly useless addition. It would not help one iota with thymol vapour retention in the hive and would likely show a reduced varroa count than that in reality.

On my Dartingtons, the simple addition of a couple of battens allows me to fit a board that could, if I wish, completely seal the bottom of the hive - to assist in destroying varroa (with vapours such as thymol or formic acid), or during really cold weather like last December - or to make a draught-free varroa count. Perhaps omlette have improved the arrangement on later models of the beehaus. I have not bothered to make the effort to find out.

A beehaus bears little similarity to anything offered by MB, other than the the basic layout!

RAB