I went out this evening about dusk to fill the feeder and saw my bees doing this… I have never seen them doing this before. It was also right at the start of a big thunderstorm. Two hours later and dark, storm over they are still doing this…
Is this bearding? They have two brood boxes available and have filled one entirely. But they have hardly even built comb in the second box. Should I be concerned?
It doesn’t look like you have a problem. The bees may just be regulating the temperature of the hive if it’s hot.
It’s not really bearding with those numbers. Having half the hive hanging out on a warm night is fairly common.
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Hi Stephanie and welcome!
Fall (and winter) is coming and your nights are probably getting cooler. Your bees won’t work on new comb at this point knowing that the season is winding down. Their focus will be to gather what nectar and pollen they can, fatten up the last crop of bees to enable them to survive the cold winter months, and conserve energy. So, it’s best to remove that second brood box and store it for next season. If there is any wax at all, be sure to freeze the frames for 24-48 hours then protect it from pests wherever you will keep them.
It’s possible, but as Mike said, bearding in hot weather is totally normal. But I wondered, is the entrance open all the way across? If so, your bees might be deliberately blocking part of it in order to control the airflow. Hot or cold, their efforts will be much more efficient and effective if you help them by blocking off the center of the entrance space and leaving two smaller gaps open on either side. If you have a screened bottom board, put the slider in the top position for the same reason.
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