Entrance Fanning in the cool morning

[ziffabeek]

Hey all,

My hive is in Atlanta, GA, and as you may know, we had a lot of rain last week.  We've had some nice days since then, fortunately, and things in my neighborhood have dried up quite a bit.  Sunday was beautiful and actually a little be warm.  The bees were flying and eating the 2:1 I've been putting out happily.

My question is this.  I went out an looked at the hive this morning before work around 7:00 am.  The sun was just rising, so it was still fairly dark and quite cool, say upper 50s ?ish.  Well, there were only a few bees on the porch, but they were all fanning!  This confused me.

I've thought a few things. 1, they were warming up their wings. 2.  they were de-humidifying? rather than cooling, perhaps to thicken up all the sugar water they've eaten the last few weeks? 3.  They really do make it hot inside that hive when they're all packed in!

Does any of those things make sense to anyone else?  I'm just curious about this behavior.

Also, my bees have been inside a lot, I think instead of hanging on the front porch, they're hanging in the empty super I've been using for feeding.  But there is a "cluster ball" of them just inside the entrance on the bottom super, way up front, across about 4-6 frames.  Is that normal?  The other frames seem almost empty.  But this is from looking in the entrance and up, not from inspecting.

Thanks for any thoughts,

love,
ziffa

[ArmucheeBee]

i have two hives hanging outside a lot.  I assume it was due to the high humidity.  They need drier air to cure the honey.  Does that sound right?  you folks up north may not understand, but we have had 90+ percent humidity for almost 2 weeks.  honey may not be able to cure as quickly in those conditions.  but i am a newbee.

[David LaFerney]

i have two hives hanging outside a lot.  I assume it was due to the high humidity.  They need drier air to cure the honey.  Does that sound right?  you folks up north may not understand, but we have had 90+ percent humidity for almost 2 weeks.  honey may not be able to cure as quickly in those conditions.  but i am a newbee.

I've had the same thing since I started feeding - until I gave them a bit of top ventilation - popsicle sticks under the corners of the the inner cover.  Just about time to take those out though I think.  I'm still considering what to do to deal with our ever changing winter weather that can go from over night teens to 60s and raining with high humidity and back in a 24 hour period. 

Sure was nice today though!

[ArmucheeBee]

WOW.  47' here this morning and I am 3 hours south of Cookeville.  You must have been colder.  If this cold continues a few days it should shut the queens down.  I wonder if we will have an early frost?  In recent years frosts have started in Nov. or the last few days of Oct. at the earliest.  My hives have very little honey and I did not rob this year.  So I have to feed!

[ziffabeek]

Thanks for the replies guys.  I think it might have been a humidity thing with the fanning, what with all of the moisture and having to dry out sugar water as well.

I don't have my top cover propped anymore, but I do have the empty super on top, with the notch in the inner cover effectively making a top entrance.  Do you think this is too much empty space for the bees to keep warm?  I was doing it to feed inside it, but now that it's getting colder in the morning i'm concerned.  And when do you put on the entrance reducer and the solid bottom board?  And do you feed all winter?

Winter has me sooo scared!  I'm going in on Sunday to do a full check.  I'm just so worried I'm going to mess something up without knowing it!

thanks again,
ziffa

[ArmucheeBee]

I saw a larva being removed this afternoon.  I wonder if last night 47' had anything to do with that?  I have fed some outside the hive this fall, about 100 yards from the hives with no problems, but they went crazy yesterday and I think some robbing took place.  I think the screen bottom board may induce some robbing.  A lot of bees were flying under the SBB and landing on it and bumping into it.  It makes sense, the increase in "open" surface and smell of honey coming through it.  I use a piece of foam insulation board to close up my SBBs.  I'll put those on tomorrow.  That stuff is really good for insulating hives.  You could use it inside the top cover too.