Is this mould?

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You also see it a bit in poly hives entrances, busy hives and smaller openings especially (high traffic)
 
I love the fact my bees do their own cleaning, and are the only 'pets' I don't have to clean out! They're just not that bothered about door mats. Of course that does mean my colourful landing boards end up looking pretty grubby at the end of each year.
 
Each to their own.
 
No, it came oiled.

Oil attracts mould spores and all will go black eventually (as I discovered years ago).

Oil and mould can be removed by using washing soda and hot water.

Cedar has natural oils and needs no treatment, ever.
 
For landing on?
Not just landing on I've seen bees socialising, fighting, doing nectar exchange, using it as a air strip to take off, collecting water from.
Another benefit windy weather.
somethings you possibly wouldn't see if you didn't have them.
I like observing the behaviour and if I had time I would have every hive with one even if it was a bodged piece of tile Batton.
 
In my opinion hives with landing boards are so much more aesthetically pleasing … add an expensive gabled roof and you almost have a quaint WBC hiive
I wish to express an opinion which is quite separate from the matter of aesthetics.

There is no doubt that feral bees can manage on their own. There is also no doubt that bees are, by nature, feral creatures rather than domesticated. Just because they “consent” to live in hive boxes provided by us does not mean that they have an avid preference to live in them. If bees were “domesticated” then they would seek for hive boxes when they swarm, rather than lodging in hollow trees or in building cavities.

It has become almost a slogan for me that I want “my bees” to thrive, rather than just survive. Because of this approach I make various provisions for them that they would not have in the wild. For example I provide a source of drinking water not far from their hives, because they need to have a reliable source of water – particularly in a long dry hot Australian summer.

I provide each hive with a very well insulated hive roof, because I have found that it has completely eliminated the problem of condensation above the honey frames. Condensation does still occur on the side walls of the hives, which has the bonus benefit of providing a source of water within the hive, in an area where it does not adversely affect them.

I also provide them with landing boards. Although there are some beekeepers (and there may be many) who do not provide landing boards, my observations have convinced me that the bees do better with them. If you just watch for a while, you will see that bees need to slow down their flight to almost hover before they settle near an entrance which has no landing board. On the other hand, when a landing board is provided for them most of them fly in confidently and some almost “crash land” directly into the entrance. It is very easy to observe which type of entrance enables them to enter the hive most easily.
 
Landing boards are solely for the benefit of the beekeeper, not the bees
Why? When in books it says to use them? In certain situations like taking bees to Heather stances?
Is this area specific..? Most of my bees are on hills and i can see there benefits.
Edit : I agree with the above just seen your post.
 
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