Bearding Question

[Mont0610]

My wife and I are beginner bee hobbyists.  We took classes last winter and spring and then installed 1 package this May.  We have two brood boxes and last week put on a honey super without an excluder.

Yesterday we noticed the bees bearding around the front entrance.  We had learned that this could be the result of overcrowding, humidity and heat so we propped the top cover up an inch for extra ventilation.  We looked at the honey super and the frames are not built out yet so we're thinking overcrowding is not the issue. 

This morning (8:45) the beard was still there (photo attached).  Temp at that time was 75 degrees.  We just checked this afternoon and the beard is gone.  It is now 94 degrees and very humid.  Over the last two weeks we've had cool temps and close to 10 inches of rain. 

Are we handling this correctly?

Thank you

[Hi-Tech]

I'm no expert by any means but I have one hive that beards a lot while the other doesn't. Back when I had 10 hive a lot of them bearded all night.. If you cracked the top cover open for ventilation, you should be good.

[iddee]

That's not a beard. That's just unshaven. This is a beard.      

PS. I love to see a beard. It tells me the hive is strong.

[divemaster1963]

yea what iddee said. everyone of my hives is covered on the front and half the sides.

john


p.s. they get very very angry when you trim around them and they are bearding. where hood and jacket  and especially gloves when you cut . have to stop now hands hurt 

[Mont0610]

Thank you all for responding, we feel better about the situation now.

Laughed at the 'unshaven' comment.  Compared to your beards it's so true!

[Kathyp]

I'm not sure you want to open the top anyway.  Bearding is normal.  The bees manage the tems in the hive.  Higher temps have been found to kill various diseases, chalkbrood being one.  Opening the top also allows room for robbers to get in, and makes defense of the hive harder.

[gdog]

If you have ever been over a hive when you open it in the spring you will feel the heat coming off it, its insane! Imangine what it is like in there during the summer, think of a chimmney with a fire going the amount of heat coming off of it (well not that much) but you get the point. if you really want to find out how hot it is in there go to a pet store and buy a digital tank thermometer with the wire attachment to get a good reading on the inside temp or any thermometer. As some have said on this site in the past the bees know what they are doing and have been for millions of years, until man stepped in thinking he could make them better.

Keep a close eye on them, you dont need to tear them down every week looking for the queen, add hive bodies when needed and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

I'm dont with my rant, out!

[KeyLargoBees]

Bearding is an interesting thing....I have screened bottom boards that have a slot for an oil tray or a mite count board.....I put the tray in the other day on some advice from a friend to see what was dropping out of the screened bottom which effectively turned the SBB into a solid board. within 2 hours the bees totally bearded the front with something between the two photos listed above....but when the tray was removed the beard was gone in less than an hour. So for me no beard is normal and a beard is abnormal....but then again neither of my hives are past a single deep yet so the population isn't up there yet.

[GSF]

john - p.s. they get very very angry when you trim around them and they are bearding. where hood and jacket  and especially gloves when you cut . have to stop now hands hurt

Now you tell me! Yeah I learnt that first hand. and face, neck, ect