View Full Version : Bees Clustering in Cold -- What happens to Brood?
CentralPAguy
10-19-2009, 06:22 PM
Yesterday, It hit 57 degrees and I had to get into the hives to remove a top feeder box and when I looked down thru the first super, I could see that the bees were in a huddled mass, which I would expect as we have had several chilly days and nights in a row.
It got me thinking of what happens to the brood that is in different stages of development if the bees form a cluster.
Curtis
10-19-2009, 06:26 PM
There kick some out....Not all but some.
Dave W
10-20-2009, 10:14 AM
Hopefully, as your colony forms its cluster, it has enough bees to cover all developing brood (they continue to develop, and in late winter queen even lays more eggs inside cluster). If not, any brood outside the cluster dies from starvation and/or hyperthermia.
Dave W
10-20-2009, 10:43 AM
Not sure why one might want to, but you can "inspect" your "huddled mass" using a mirror and flashlight under a SBB (w/ SB removed). Kinda neat! Also look for dead bees on SBB, lots could mean trouble. (Always wear a veil :))
sqkcrk
10-20-2009, 03:38 PM
Bees don't leave brood. And they would have had to of produced quite a lot of brood for the brood to get frozen because there weren't enuf bees to cover it. Though it does happen sometimes.
Dave W
10-21-2009, 09:11 AM
>Bees don't leave brood . . .
What causes "chilled brood"?
sqkcrk
10-28-2009, 05:35 AM
>Bees don't leave brood . . .
What causes "chilled brood"?
Well, usually.
Chilled brood comes from too much brood for the bees to keep covered.