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Author Topic: Why do bees beard?  (Read 1342 times)

Offline flyboy

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Why do bees beard?
« on: August 13, 2015, 05:11:23 pm »
I notice that two of my hives have bees bearding on the face regularly.
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Al
First packages - 2 queens and bees May 17 2014 - doing well

Offline biggraham610

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Re: Why do bees beard?
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2015, 05:18:04 pm »
Humidity, heat, drying honey, space. Its natural. Kind of cool huh. G
"The Bees are the Beekeepers"

Offline Dallasbeek

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Re: Why do bees beard?
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2015, 11:19:12 pm »
Don't forget that sometimes it's a sign of an impending swarm.  I don't know how to tell when that's the case, though.
"Liberty lives in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no laws, no court can save it." - Judge Learned Hand, 1944

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Why do bees beard?
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2015, 09:00:54 am »
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#bearding

Any hive that isn't bearding in hot weather is probably a weak hive.  I would not take it as a sign of an impending swarm.  But the same circumstances, other than the heat, that lead to bearding might be a sing of some of the circumstances that lead to a swarm.  If one hive is bearding and the others are not, you might want to see if they need a super...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin