View Full Version : Bees baricading in the entrance?
MikeJ
07-05-2009, 08:57 AM
I have noticed a few times in this weather, rainy in the mid 60s, the bees are forming a wall inside the hive at the entrance. What is this behaviour for?
beyondthesidewalks
07-05-2009, 01:45 PM
Sounds like they're tryig to stay dry.:)
Loonerone
07-05-2009, 06:59 PM
Our one hive does this too since we removed the entrance reducer - our nights go down to the high 50s and we think we took the entrance reducer off too soon and the bees cluster to keep the hive warm, stop the wind draft, etc. They look lifeless clustered there, but are alive! It is fascinating, to say the least. Our other hive, with fewer bees, still has an entrance reducer, and we do not see that barricading behavior.
MikeJ
07-05-2009, 07:39 PM
I keep the entrance reducer pulled out and up, making it a portch roof over the entrance.
I notice it seems to help prevent drowned bees in the rain.
Alex Cantacuzene
07-06-2009, 07:51 AM
Here in the middle of Kentucky we have had a lot of rain and I saw this "barricading" on one hive yesterday. We do not use reducers at present but we have had the screened bottom board sliders in. Today the sun will come out and we will pull the slider panels and see what will happen. We are in a flow but have to contend with the rain too. Keeping our fingers crossed for a good harvest.
BaconStreetBees
07-06-2009, 02:18 PM
The weather has cleared up. Are they still doing it?
MikeJ
07-06-2009, 03:13 PM
It is still cloudy and rainy here.
They come out anytime it isn't raining.
BaconStreetBees
07-06-2009, 03:19 PM
Might be a ventilation problem with humidity.
MikeJ
07-06-2009, 08:00 PM
Since the nights are in the mid to upper 50s I have been leaving the outer cover propped open. But the feeder on the inner cover is very clotted with bees so maybe it isn't much help. Eating about 2 quarts a day. $30 a month :/
Alex Cantacuzene
07-07-2009, 08:06 AM
Hi, well now that the sun is shining the traffic pattern has changed and we are back to normal. It seems that they are now quite occupied with collecting nectar.
Cedar Hill
07-07-2009, 10:27 AM
Honey is very hygroscopic - gathers moisture very fast from the air. If the bees are evaporating the water content in the nectar down to the 17% or so needed to make honey, then blocking the entrance with their bodies when the humidity level is exceptionally high would be quite helpful. They are efficient at what they do, and in this case it's making their honey making task easier for themselves. OMTCW