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Author Topic: Bees outside hive at night  (Read 12161 times)

Offline Wocky

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Bees outside hive at night
« on: January 13, 2011, 10:36:41 am »
It's been raining pretty heavily here for a few days; the temperature is about 25 deg C, but the humidity is very high, presently about 90%.  It's not raining at present, but it only stopped about 30 minutes ago. I've got two hives in my backyard, one has two boxes, the other three. I've just had a look at them (it's about 1.30AM here) and both have several thousand bees on the front of the hive (they're several layers deep.)

Should I expect them to swarm soon? Are they just keeping the hive cool, or relatively dry? I can't open them up while it's wet, but the rain is expected to last for a few more days. Should I be worried?

Thanks in advance.

Offline AllenF

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2011, 11:26:23 am »
Nothing to be worried about.  They are just bearded up.  Bearding is natural, you can check do a search here one it.  Check them to make sure they have open super frames to store honey when you get a chance.

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2011, 07:12:02 pm »
Mine have been bearding a lot over the past few days because of the temperatures and the humidity - perfectly normal habit - as Allen suggested when the weather clears up pop the lid and check that they have some room - if they're building burr comb on the lid (assuming you don't have mats) they need more room... but i don't think you'll have a problem

Offline hardwood

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2011, 07:31:03 pm »
Bearding is typical. I get worried when they DON'T beard!

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline Wocky

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2011, 02:45:22 am »

Thanks everyone. The forecast is for a relatively clear afternoon tomorrow, so I'll get into them then.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2011, 04:02:38 am »
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

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #6 on: January 17, 2011, 07:32:56 pm »

Thanks everyone. The forecast is for a relatively clear afternoon tomorrow, so I'll get into them then.


How did you go?

Offline Wocky

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2011, 02:06:46 am »

How did you go?

Everything's fine. I've added a box to the formerly-two-box hive, and stole five frames of honey from the other.

One odd thing, though: when I had the upper supers on the ground, the bees walked over the top edges of the ones remaining (which I expected). I tried brushing them back into the hive with my bee brush, and the flew very fast at my other hand - it was like bullets hitting my hand (well, OK, very slow-moving bullets, but still...) None of that lot stung me.


Offline hardwood

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2011, 03:02:15 pm »
Wocky, brushing bees can really piss them off some times. It's better to push them down with smoke.

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2011, 10:23:47 pm »
Wocky, brushing bees can really piss them off some times. It's better to push them down with smoke.

Scott

Definitely agree with what Hardwood says! it all depends on the pace and strength you're doing it with too! slow and gently is the key - smoke, i have found, is by far the best way to muster apis :)

Offline ronwhite3030

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2011, 04:47:16 am »
I agree with hardwood, use the bee brush for something else then bees, I bought a kit when i first started and it came with one, I use mine for brushing off my workstation, pissing off bees is all a bee brush is good for, sometimes a back scratcher too.

Offline bee-nuts

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #11 on: February 04, 2011, 05:56:17 am »
I have found that when you have crappy humid rainy weather they are easily agitated with the brush and will head butt any object that seems like a threat.  When under nice weather conditions I have really had no problems with brushing the bees.  They just fly around, land and crawl back in their home.
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Offline Mardak

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Re: Bees outside hive at night
« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2011, 06:08:47 am »
We moved about 60 doubles and triples the other night and bearding was very plentiful after the unload. Hot or warm weather sometimes dictates what the hives will do. Full boxes probably do not allow enough air to circulate inside the box for cooling. fascinating creatures the way they organise themselves.