Wot's occuring??

[Loubylou]

Does anyone know why lots (200 ish) of my bees are gathered on the underneath of the varroa mesh. They have been like this for some weeks now.
I have just checked them this evening they are still there and there are lots milling around outside the hive on the ground raising their lower abdomens etc.
Also as mentioned in previous thread I have had a lot of (100's) inexplicable deaths, and possibly no queen, if that's of any relevance.
During the day, if sunny they are very active bringing in pollen etc.

 

[Grub]

have you had a look that your queen maybe with them ?

Grub

 

[Hivemaker.]

During the day, if sunny they are very active bringing in pollen etc.

Yes there seems to be quite a bit of pollen around.

 

[Outlander]

I think you need to do something as the nights are getting colder. Do they go in at night or always out there. As Grub stated may be Q may be out there with them. I may be wrong but if they were mine I would be looking at may be putt BB on another floor then shaking them back into BB off the old floor. Did you ever put a frame of brood in with eggs? Have you looked into re-queening? Just seems if you do nothing you may loose your only colony. You do need to make sure if you are q- though before introducing. Hopefully someone may have better advice for you but I do feel you need to act soon.

 

[LittleGreyRabbit]

Does anyone know why lots (200 ish) of my bees are gathered on the underneath of the varroa mesh. They have been like this for some weeks now.
I have just checked them this evening they are still there and there are lots milling around outside the hive on the ground raising their lower abdomens etc.

When my bees did that, I assumed that they were trying to get into the hive via the mesh floor. So, as I didn't want them staying there and getting cold and hungry, I pushed them all off gently with the inspection board as I inserted it and I kept the inspection board in place all the time and propped it up with two pebbles at the sides so as to present less of a space which bees might think was another entrance.

 

[Tom Bick]

With open mesh floors bees returning can miss the entrance and end up under the mesh floor, most bees work it out but it can happen that they think they are in the hive and cluster under the hive. Also virgin queens returning to the hive she can fined herself under the mesh floor and the bees join her and they assume this is the hive and the result can be in the photo. I have heard other beekeepers mention that the bees in the hive feed the bees under the hive through the mesh but don’t know this myself.

You need to take a closer look and move the bees into the hive, after this close the floor for a while to help stop the bees returning to the mesh

 

[Loubylou]

Thanks for all advice. I cant believe i didnt think about the possibilities of the queen being underneath. Should I remove varroa mesh floor tomorrow (if sunny and warm) and replace with original floor. If she is there pop her back into the hive along with others.
Is this something one should do anyway as the mesh floor could increase winter chills and cold entering the hive?

 

[Tom Bick]

You obviously have a spare floor and I guess solid? so I would simply move hive to one side place spare floor on original position lift BB onto spare floor and then inspect the original mesh floor and the bees under, if you have a queen or just bees remove roof and put them back into the hive.

I would then replace the mesh floor with inspection tray fitted and if it’s a floor with a big hole at the back fill this to stop bees returning to the wrong side of the mesh and a week later remove the tray. Obviously no need to replace original floor if your spare is also a mesh floor.

 

[itma]

With open mesh floors bees returning can miss the entrance and end up under the mesh floor...

A landing board or anything else to impede flying straight under the hive can be a great help in preventing this.

 

[Tom Bick]

A landing board or anything else to impede flying straight under the hive can be a great help in preventing this.

Yes it can help also a deep rail on a hive stand but in most cases the bees are ok apart from the odd hive. Landing boards are also great for us to watch the bees.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

I had this in my first year and solved it by putting another mesh floor where the tray goes.
Also stopped the wasps from grabbing the legs of the bees inside - 2010 was a bad year for wasps down here.
I think as above, when there are loads of bees trying to get in to a reduced entrance they go under and can't find their way back to the entrance as they think they are within the hive since they can feel and smell their mates through the floor.
Just my pennyworth.
P.