Clustering under the omf

[EdNewman]

Every evening for the last five days or so a small fist sized cluster (probably about 20 bees) have been gathering on the underside of the omf (the outside) and in the morning there has been a not nice pile of dead bees. Any idea why they would be doing this?

They have been flying for about two weeks, the mouse guard is off but with an entrance block still in place. The colony seem healthy, although I haven't opened them yet this year.

Cheers,
Ed.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Have you checked that the opening on the entrance block is clear? It can sometimes get blocked by dead bees preventing others from getting back into the hive.

 

[Moggs]

Is there anything of particular bee appeal on the hive side of the floor that they are obsessed with? Might it be so tempting to them that they won't leave it alone even to try to get back into the warmth of the hive? In such a situation at this time of year, as the temperature drops rapidly in the evening, bees will quickly chill to the point of stupor and untimely bee-no-more.

 

[EdNewman]

I've checked the entrance and it's clear, and the omf looks clear and clean.

Ed.

 

[Moggs]

Ed
Have you taken the mouse guard off and replaced with the reducer very recently?

 

[EdNewman]

As far as I'm aware this hive has never had a mouse guard (I took it over a few months ago from a beek wanting to downsize). So no, entrance space is the same since they started flying.

Ed.

 

[Moggs]

Ed
Perhaps some pictures would help, all around hive and of bees?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Slide your floor in.
If there is stick from feeding it should fall through the mesh onto the wooden board so you'll know. it will also reduce the tendancy to go down under.

 

[enrico]

collecting under floor

You will find this can be a real problem with OMF's The best cure is to make sure that the area immediately under the landing stage and entrance is blocked off. What is happening is the bees are coming in to land, misjudging and going under the hive, They then find the main hive above them and, as with a queen excluder, they try to get through the mesh. Once you have a few bees underneath others may follow. In really bad circumstance you may have to block the sides that are lower than the hive floor too and just leave the back open. This collecting often happens when a hive is stood on breeze blocks that are laid front to back with the front open. Try turning the breeze blocks through 90 degrees, this works.
On a cold night the main hive cluster will move away from the floor and the bees that have clustered underneath will probably die.
Try and do something to discourage the practice as it doesn't seem to go away and you are losing bees needlessly.
In the old days with solid floors this was never a problem!!!
Best of luck
Enrico

 

[Wraith]

Being very fresh here and having asked a question about landing boards, could it be a problem with bees dropping short of the hive, then climbing or flying underneath the hive? Either lack of energy or windy weather to get into the hive first try.
It was one the points noted as a reason for boards.

 

[enrico]

Actually you won't be alone here. If any of us bothered to actually look under our hives we would probably see a cluster of bees there. It can range from a few to a few hundred. Either don't look or try what i suggested....

 

[richardbees]

Yes wraith, the suggestion about putting an 'apron' will help and also putting the floor on, it probably didn't happen before OMF.
I've taken my block off so the entrance is 20mm.,...but I'm in S London

 

[EdNewman]

Well it looks like we are in for a nice weekend, so I will put the floor in and take the entrance block out during the day and see if that helps. The bees are currently in the hive belonging to their original owner, I need to move them into my own hive when it gets warmer and mine have nice big landing boards, hopefully that will cure it.

Ed.