Bees crowding front entrance at night part II with picture

[ChrisH]

Is this normal? Every night they start out this way and expand up the outside of the box maybe anotherr 2 inches by morning.DSCF3044.jpg

[pine_ridge_farms]

They are bearding. Nothing to be alarmed about. The hives are warm, busting full of bees and they are hanging out on the front porch keeping cool!

[NasalSponge]

That, in fact, is a very mild case of bearding.

[ChrisH]

Thanks! The weather here is getting into the 90's this week, so it is warmer than it has been. I have a screened bottom and the lid of the box is wedged open for air flow...anything else I could do or should do?

[sqkcrk]

Is this normal? Every night they start out this way and expand up the outside of the box maybe anotherr 2 inches by morning.DSCF3044.jpg

There was a time when y'all would have slept out on the screened porch because of the heat. In other days folks went off to the coast to escape the heat. That's what the bees are doing, keeping cool. Were they all inside the colony would over heat and die.

[scrapiron]

[theriverhawk]

That, my friend, is nothing to worry about. A few bees on the landing board is really no big deal. You've got a screen bottom board. They'll vent as they need. Sit back and enjoy watching what they do.

[Yucca Patrol]

I was concerned the first time i saw significant bearding. I asked my mentor about it and he told me that it just means I've got a healthy hive with lots of happy bees in it.