Entrance Block

[Polyanwood]

The bees have all gone back inside now, but are still blocking the space between the bottom of the frames and the floor.

In the evening, night or early morning when it is cool - less than 10C say, mine always get into a loose cluster to keep warm. If you peek in with a torch you can see them hanging off the bottoms of the frames. This is normal, especially if there is just foundation in the super and not drawn comb. They will tend to stay in the brood box in the cluster like this until super is drawn and therefore more insulating.

Some bees do beard (like your photo and more extreme, like Father Christmas' beard) more than others. It can mean nothing. Mine always beard when I treat with Apiguard too.

If you have not got bees that like to beard and it is cool, then that can be a bit of a worry as people say, but it all sounds Ok to me. They have enough room, there are no queen cells and there is only one queen in the box. Good odds therefore that all will be fine.

 

[Finman]

would be very interested and grateful for any other theories!

To me theory is that the bottom does not bring honey. It is not so important what you use.

 

[andynorton]

Thanks all. Everything seems to have returned to normal now over the last couple of days. Inspection day tomorrow, so will see how they've got on.