Where in the hive do bees cluster?

[Amari]

This morning I checked my Varroa boards placed 3 days ago. I was interested to find that the 'dross', presumably signifying bee activity vertically above, was only on the half of the board at the front of the hives in eight cases. (Sadly one had no dross - one of the two colonies with high Nosema scores I reported on 12 November 'Checking for dead bees on the OMF' - I suspect the colony has perished).
My frames are arranged the cold way. The hive entrances face north (OK, I know south facing is advised but my hives face a hedge to reduce the chance of my apiary landlord getting zapped).
My question is: have others found that the bees apparently cluster at the front and/or north side of the hive?
BTW: the Varroa counts over 3 days were: 6,14,6,2,5,0,1,5,10.

 

[Tom Bick]

The cluster will over time move around within the hive.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

bees tend to organise their home with the brood/cluster near the entrance and the stores at the back.
Being your frames are cold way it will be easier to see but examine one frame in the season and you will find the f'ood' arch will be biased - with brood to the edge of the frame towards the entrance with stores almost to the bottom on the other side.It is more noticeable at the beginning of the season (before the queen attempts to fill the whole hive with brood)
Obviously during the winter the cluster will move around to keep in contact with the food.

 

[Goran]

Main moving from down to up and toward back. There are always some cases which differ and confirm this regularity.

 

[Amari]

Thanks JBM & Goran - seems to be in accord with my findings. Never noticed this phenomenon before (40+ yrs beeking)!

 

[jonnybeegood]

Amari, I'm in my first year of beekeeping & knew this, from reading books & watching my bees. In 40 years beekeeping you havent noticed this? Wow, i find that so suprising, no offence meant, but even on my first apiary visit i could see from the fall of debris where the bees were & that they would move around for food??

 

[Amari]

Amari, I'm in my first year of beekeeping & knew this, from reading books & watching my bees. In 40 years beekeeping you havent noticed this? Wow, i find that so suprising, no offence meant, but even on my first apiary visit i could see from the fall of debris where the bees were & that they would move around for food??

D'you mind, I wrote 40+ years.
Absolutely none taken, this forum has taught me to remain cool and calm, skin now several cms thick.
At last I begin to realise why I struggle to jar more than a couple of pounds of OSR.
Surprising that you don't have spell check up north.

 

[oliver90owner]

Wow, i find that so suprising, no offence meant,

JBG,

Think here about the best place for their stores. Above and beyond the brood nest (or cluster) is the very simple answer. Reason is equally simple, too. Protection of their vital winter supplies! You are now plus or minus forty years ahead of the game.

RAB

 

[drex]

Look in a top bar hive. You can learn a lot.

 

[Goran]

This spring as newer example I had one colony which left stores in front and started new brood at back ( almost half frames in front with heavy stores). The colony seems average on strength but planned to replace the queen anyway. I come after 7 days to see what is happening, and the stores in front were all replaced with brood ( almost whole frames of brood then). I even thought that I opened wrong hive. That confused me and I left queen alive. In season had no problems, performed as many other average hives. In fact I done one split after black locust forage ( which was disaster due to catastrophic weather).