What are they doing?

[HelenHP16]

We did a Bailey comb change at the weekend to remove some very black comb that came with a nuc last year. They seem ok and could be seen in the top box through the crown board when I went to top up the feed yesterday evening. There seemed to be a lot of activity under the hive and so on hands and knees I looked under and the were about 50-100 bees underneath the mesh floor. First thought was that the queen might be there and they were keeping her company but a really close look showed she was not there. I was very careful when filling the feeder so I don't think spilt syrup is the cause.

Does anyone one ave any thoughts as to what might be going on?

Thanks

 

[Hivemaker.]

Does anyone one ave any thoughts as to what might be going on?

They are trying to get in, but can't.

 

[enrico]

Block the area between the landing stage and the ground, they are flying underneath and don't understand why they can't get in! They will perish in cold nights. A piece of board or cloth will do. It is the trouble with mesh floors, they don't understand why they can get through a QE but not a mesh floor!
E

 

[jd101k2000]

Block the area between the landing stage and the ground, they are flying underneath and don't understand why they can't get in! They will perish in cold nights. A piece of board or cloth will do. It is the trouble with mesh floors, they don't understand why they can get through a QE but not a mesh floor!
E

I had this last year and lost some bees clustered under the hive. I just put in the varroa board for a couple of days and that re-trained them.

 

[HelenHP16]

Thanks as always for the good advice - I'll go help them work out where the door is tomorrow!

 

[Arfermo]

I had this last year and lost some bees clustered under the hive. I just put in the varroa board for a couple of days and that re-trained them.

Even with the VB in you will need to stuff some foam or whatever in the rear above the board as otherwise bees will go in the space above and die.

 

[jd101k2000]

True. I forgot how devious they were last year... Little kamikazes

 

[Pete D]

What sort of feeder was it............contact ?

 

[Cazza]

Even with the VB in you will need to stuff some foam or whatever in the rear above the board as otherwise bees will go in the space above and die.

Not necessarily. Depends on the design of the board. Some block the space completely without needing anything else.
Cazza

 

[HelenHP16]

It was a rapid feeder

 

[Arfermo]

Not necessarily. Depends on the design of the board. Some block the space completely without needing anything else.
Cazza

Precisely - that is what most VBs do, which is why I offered my comment from my personal experience. If you have VBs that leave a convenient gap for varroa to fall through and to let the bees out, how smart is that?