Bearding

**thestainedglasschick** · 07-12-2011, 06:31 PM

Here are some pics of my 1st year hives bearding. Hope they are not preparing to swarm but just hanging out on the front porch. It was 98 degrees here today in VA so I'm sure the hive got pretty hot. Curious behavior though.....they were just standing still.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1021660...eat=directlink

**endless brook bees** · 07-12-2011, 06:36 PM

very normal,I suspect in the coming weeks you may see it even double.do you vent the top cover,popsicle sticks work well and the bees like the additional entrance

**thestainedglasschick** · 07-12-2011, 06:41 PM

I put popsicle sticks between the two boxes so it gives a little space to vent but it's not big enough for the bees to come and go. I also have a 1 inch hole in the top box that you can't see because they are clustered around it.

Stephanie

**Vance G** · 07-12-2011, 07:31 PM

Strong colonies can have beards that would easily fill a basketball when it is hot and muggy.

**johnblagg** · 07-12-2011, 08:18 PM

mine make a huge clump hanging down off the entrance every day its over 87 and I was worried about the same thing. Just normal and untill you see it happening every day for a while it makes you worry they are ready to swarm.

**WV Bee Guy** · 07-12-2011, 09:02 PM

Can you flip your bottom board to give them a bigger entrance? Looks like you have a 3/8" entrance now - may give them a little more air flow and help them regulate the temperature better.

**EastSideBuzz** · 07-13-2011, 01:10 AM

Bearding is kind of cool. If you pop the lid a bit they might stay inside more.

**Growing Boy** · 07-13-2011, 04:25 AM

Not to be sarcastic but that looks more like a friendly little get together by a few friends on the front porch when it's mildly warm. When they cover the entire front of the hive and hang a foot below, that's bearding.

**beemandan** · 07-13-2011, 05:35 AM

They can get pretty big
This one even has sideburns!

**thestainedglasschick** · 07-13-2011, 06:09 AM

now that's bearding!!!

**kacaskey** · 07-25-2011, 04:31 PM

My beard is grumpy. I get herded out if I come within 8 feet of the hive. These girls have been gentle all along and there isn't any robbing occuring. I guess they're just as sick as we are of the 97-102 degree temperatures. I harvested one medium super three weeks ago and completed a thorough inspection two weeks back and all was well.

**hoodswoods** · 07-25-2011, 05:46 PM

most of the keepers I know don't have the means to capture swarms other than just physically breaking off the branch they have swarmed to and stick it in a box. If the beard Dan showed was a swarm - whatcha gonna do? Give the ladies room to expand (something to do), realize that bearding is normal in the heat of summer and quit worrying about swarming - deal with it as you can or not when it happens.