# Bees clustered at the entrance of hive **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [July 12, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bees-clustered-at-the-entrance-of-hive/30941 "2021-07-12T15:48:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mmcbascon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@mmcbascon](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/mmcbascon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bees-clustered-at-the-entrance-of-hive/30941/1 "2021-07-12T15:48:37Z")
Hi! I set up my flow hive 5 weeks ago. They seemed like everything was going fine until this past week. We had some really bad humid days and lots of rain. May 28th: setup date June 7th: added the super June 18th: opened it up for inspection and they looked great. My friend that gave me the split told me I should put another brood box on top of the original, so I did. June 26th: I added the 2nd box. July 6th: They are filling out the 2nd box The bees had finally gone up to the super, but weren’t doing anything. I finally figured out that I never turned the key on the frames. I then used the key to turn and checked on them a few days later and there were only a few bees up there. If it matters, Im not sure if I turned the key in the right direction. July 7th super hot, 90’s and humid July 8th: torrential rain and humid I checked on the beehive before the rain came and they were clustered at the entrance of the hive. My friend said they were ok and sometimes do that when it is hot. July 9th: a lot were dead at the entrance and along with a couple of pupae July 10th: they seemed back to normal July 11th: opened up boxes to see what is going on in there, looked fine. It rained again last night into this morning and when I was taking out the dog, I looked at the entrance to the hive and there were more dead bees! I need advice!! ---
**Author:** ![chau06](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/chau06/32/25515_2.png) [@chau06](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/chau06)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 4:55pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bees-clustered-at-the-entrance-of-hive/30941/2 "2021-07-12T16:55:03Z")
> [@mmcbascon](#): > > My friend that gave me the split How many frames was this split? > [@mmcbascon](#): > > June 7th: added the super You likely added the super way too early, especially if you’re local mentor was recommending a double brood setup. To quote an often posted recommendation by @Dawn_SD: > [@New hive, wait to add Flow frame super?](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/new-hive-wait-to-add-flow-frame-super/14967/3): > > To summarize for you, the Flow hive should be treated in exactly the same way as any traditional hive. If you read the basic books on beekeeping (e.g. Beekeeping for Dummies) they tell you always to fill one box before adding the next. If you got a swarm 2 weeks ago, you should probably only have one box in your hive setup at the moment, unless your swarm was humongous. If you give them too much space, they can’t heat or defend it. > > To decide when to add the next box, I use the following rules, that the existing box has: > > 1. _ **Fully drawn comb** _ covering most of every frame, _ **and** _ > 2. The comb is _ **80% full** _ of brood, pollen or honey, _ **and** _ > 3. Every frame is _ **well covered** _ with bees > > This rule applies to adding second brood boxes and honey supers. In other words, after adding the second brood box, I would wait until those rules were satisfied before adding the super (traditional or Flow super). That makes sure that there are always enough bees to use the space, heat it, and defend it. > [@mmcbascon](#): > > they were clustered at the entrance of the hive This sounds like bearding and is very normal on hot and humid days. > [@mmcbascon](#): > > a lot were dead at the entrance and along with a couple of pupae They may not have been able to carry away their normal dead and occasional larva or pupa because of the wet weather so they are likely just catching up. A full colony will lose hundred if not thousands of bees a day to normal life expectancy. When fall comes around you will notice many weak, dying, or dead drones being ejected from the hive. Over winter you will see scattered dead bees in front of the hive and across the snow (which I am assuming you get your fair share of). Scattered dead bees in the winter is a good sign of life inside the colony. > [@mmcbascon](#): > > if I turned the key in the right direction. There’s no right and wrong direction, as long as you turn it past straight up or straight down. Use the upper slot to reset the frames and lower slot to harvest. However, as your bees are still building your second brood box, you should strongly consider removing the super, likely until next spring. ---
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:11pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bees-clustered-at-the-entrance-of-hive/30941/3 "2021-07-12T17:11:48Z")
Hello and welcome to the Flow forum! 😊 The only thing I have to add to @chau06’s excellent response is that you should consider doing a Varroa mite count and inspect the hive for disease on a dry day. Pupae being thrown out of the hive could be Varroa if you have hygienic bees, or it could be chalkbrood if the frames got wet or chilled. For the mite count, please consider a sugar roll or alcohol wash method (use the forum Search tool at the upper right for more info on those) to get an accurate count. Sticky board and direct vision are horribly inaccurate for counting mites. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![mmcbascon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@mmcbascon](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/mmcbascon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bees-clustered-at-the-entrance-of-hive/30941/4 "2021-07-12T17:38:03Z")
Thank you so much for your insight! I am just worried I am doing something wrong. I didn’t realize there is a upper slot and lower slot for the key…I have watched videos on it and he has just said to put it in and turn, not very clear. There is condensation also on the inside window, could that be an issue?? ---
**Author:** ![mmcbascon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@mmcbascon](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/mmcbascon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:39pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bees-clustered-at-the-entrance-of-hive/30941/5 "2021-07-12T17:39:21Z")
Thank you! Although, I def would not know what I am looking for as far as mites🤔what is a sugar roll? ---
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:59pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bees-clustered-at-the-entrance-of-hive/30941/6 "2021-07-12T17:59:47Z")
> [@mmcbascon](#): > > I def would not know what I am looking for as far as mites🤔what is a sugar roll? As I mentioned, you can use the forum Search tool (magnifying glass upper right of this screen). This is one of the links that I found using it to search for sugar roll: > [@New Beekeeper 2nd week inspection New Jersey USA](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/new-beekeeper-2nd-week-inspection-new-jersey-usa/15216/2): > > I would take it off next time you inspect. They probably won’t need feeding for a few months, if at all. If you leave it on, it is more dead space for them to heat (they keep the brood at 34 to 35C), and bees tend to do nefarious things to extras left on the hive. Things like building creative comb in unexpected places, or gumming stuff up unhelpfully with tons of propolis. wink I treat for mites when the counts say I need to treat or if I see DWV signs. Generally this is March, August and … 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chau06](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/chau06/32/25515_2.png) [@chau06](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/chau06)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 6:03pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bees-clustered-at-the-entrance-of-hive/30941/7 "2021-07-12T18:03:39Z")
> [@mmcbascon](#): > > there is a upper slot and lower slot for the key [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/original/3X/9/4/948d8f8c384342c6888cf1c118a75a93198b4992.jpeg "How to build your Flow Hive: Frames") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylblbJzZC_w) Look about 30sec in. > [@mmcbascon](#): > > There is condensation also on the inside window, could that be an issue?? This is pretty normal to see in the morning especially if it’s tiny droplets. This will “burn off” (evaporate) during the course of the morning and the bees will drink some of it up. However, as I mentioned before, you should really consider removing your super until your upper box is completely built out, and by that time, it will probably be time to begin winter prep and remove the super anyway. ---
**Author:** ![mmcbascon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@mmcbascon](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/mmcbascon)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 7:04pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/bees-clustered-at-the-entrance-of-hive/30941/8 "2021-07-12T19:04:42Z")
Omg, thank you so much, I never saw that video! I will check the top box in another week and if it is still not full, then I will take the super off. Thank you, your advice is so helpful!!