Why are bees below the varroa screen??

[MWillard]

I have varroa screens on both my hives. The opening for the varroa screen faces the back of each hive, so I can look at the debris tray without upsetting the bees entering at the front.

At any given time there are 6-20 bees below the varroa screen just hanging out suspended from the mesh screen.

Any ideas on why? Did they just fly in there accidently?:scratch:

[DiverDog]

I would say they just missed the entrance and are smelling/seeing their sisters through the screen and just cant figure out why they cant get in. I have my hives sitting up on railroad ties and there are always a few that fly under the hive and hang out on the screen. I have sat and watched and after a while they make their way in. I havent watched when the stickyboard was in so I dont know if yours may get stuck or never give up trying to get through the screen. You may lose a couple but doubt very many.

[BEES4U]

Check to see if you inserted the floor upside down.
Ernie

[beyondthesidewalks]

Could it be robbers trying to get in your hives. I noticed lots of robbers attempting to get in one of my weakest hives. The guard bees at the entrance were sucessfully repeling them but they were also attempting to get in under the hive through the SBB.

My hives sit on angle iron stands with 4 round pipe legs. This lets me put axle grease on the legs of the hive to help keep ants out. It works very well but the open bottom under the hive is also somewhat attractive to robbers. Of course they cannot get in through the screened bottom so it's another benefit of the SBB in that it foils robbers.