Lots of bees on the front of my hive

[Liam C Ryan]

Yesterday after noon and today there were lots of bees at the entrance of one of my hives. Im in Ireland so our time frame is a couple of weeks behind England. I have not inspected my hive yet as weather is still cold at night but I am hoping to do my first inspection next week. There is lots of bee flying so things are looking good so far . the hive is a national hive with a super on top for food. Should l be worried about the amount of bees at the entrance . lots of the bees are just staying at the entrance and are not flying off looking for food.
Liam C

 

[Rock_Chick]

1 possible cause is over crowding,If the bees are flying in the day then you need to look in,otherwise if overcrowded they could swarm.

 

[Midland Beek]

What's that white thing in the entrance? Bees clustering at the entrance might be ventilating the hive. Perhaps there is a case for enlarging the entrance. I took out the entrance blocks to my hives today.

 

[Liam C Ryan]

the white thing is a strip of plastic which covers the mesh floor , the hive was a bought hive and the edge of the mesh floor was bare at the entrance so l covered it , I would think the entrance is plenty big enough .

 

[drstitson]

"I would think the entrance is plenty big enough "

by the look of the bees (& the subject of your post) it possibly isn't!!!!

 

[MuswellMetro]

take the entrance block out, it is 21c+ in most of UK and i think it is just entrance conjestion, put it back in wasps period

and that not al ots of bees outside ,this is, and yes they did swarm

 

[TOBY-3652]

Was you lucky and get your swarm back??????

 

[richardbees]

Liam,

that entrance is nowhere big enough and even my elderly eyes can see rows of bees fanning away to provide ventilation!

Muswell, have you had a swarm already?

richard

 

[oliver90owner]

richardbees,

You need to take your elderly eyes along to specsavers, or similar, if that is what you can see! With a mesh floor I would think the entrance size matters not a jot for ventilation!

If bees were coming and going that area would be adequate - my Dartingtons never need the whole 370mm wide by 8mm slot, however strong they are - and they are a lot stronger than a National with deep and shallow! So don't try to 'con' him into thinking that, at this time of the year!

Swarming season is here and if the top box is full of stores (and likely some in the deep as well), there ain't a lot of available space in that hive, so they may well be about to make a bit of space in there!

RAB

 

[snoop]

Yesterday after noon and today there were lots of bees at the entrance of one of my hives. Im in Ireland so our time frame is a couple of weeks behind England. I have not inspected my hive yet as weather is still cold at night but I am hoping to do my first inspection next week. There is lots of bee flying so things are looking good so far . the hive is a national hive with a super on top for food. Should l be worried about the amount of bees at the entrance . lots of the bees are just staying at the entrance and are not flying off looking for food.
Liam C

Liam

do an inspection or at the very least give them a super . I am south of you temps yesterday were at 17C here. Two of my hives had brood nests completely laid up. On top of that there is some sort of a flow on , either dandelion or sycamore, there was watery nectar in frames. I know you are about 3 weeks behind usually but the last weeks temps have been above avarage

 

[tonybloke]

Liam
On top of that there is some sort of a flow on , either dandelion or sycamore, there was watery nectar in frames.

probably tree nectar, blackthorn, plum, cherry, and other fruits

 

[The Riviera Kid]

I think it could be space. One of my colonies is already getting very powerful - she is a vigorous queen and the worker bees had already started building brace comb on top of the brood box over the middle frames. If they're doing that, then it hints that they reckon she's ready for more space.

There are lots of early spring flowers still out round us and lots of tree blossom too - hawthorn, willow, hazel, all the plums and cherries too. the frames are dusted with bright yellow pollen!!

 

[Liam C Ryan]

Thanks very much for all the replies ,will do an inspection today

 

[MuswellMetro]

Liam,

that entrance is nowhere big enough and even my elderly eyes can see rows of bees fanning away to provide ventilation!

Muswell, have you had a swarm already?

richard

no swarm yet, that was a last years pic pf a friends hive

but i had one hive with 20 QC on Saturday from a bee from the same stock as the pic, and not more than a couple of drones on site so no chance of a good mating [ super on to balance the brood stores but did not work even though i bruised it]

i have gone for a demaree to throw them back a few weeks, might bring up a frames of eggs from the bottom box latter to induce a QC then split

 

[jezd]

Liam,

that entrance is nowhere big enough and even my elderly eyes can see rows of bees fanning away to provide ventilation!

Muswell, have you had a swarm already?

richard

pish, why do people think bees need a two foot entrance, this hive has a massive open mesh floor for goodness sake

 

[Liam C Ryan]

Opened up hive today, didn,t do too much looking in but super that was on with winter food is completely full with honey, didn,t split super and brood box ,a little afraid of loosing the Queen and temperatures are to drop for the next couple of days so I put on an undrawn super with a Queen excluder . This evening lots of bees were bringing in water to hive. Thanks to everybody for your advice
Liam C.