# Help a first timer please!



## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

your attachment won't open ary, but it sounds exactly what my bees have been doing for about a week now. they hang outside to keep it from getting too hot in the hive. around here it usually means the flow is winding down and not much more comb gets drawn until next year.


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## Bee Whisperer (Mar 24, 2013)

Did you see fresh eggs in the cells . . . how many in each cell?


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## ARYakAngler (Jan 25, 2014)

squarepeg- maybe this will work http://postimg.org/image/wlz98f8xp/ the clustering now covers that entire bottom angled part to the entrance and the bees are hanging off the edges

bee whisper - there were white looking larvae/fresh egg in probably 20% of the cells on maybe 3 frames in the bottom deep 10 frame super. Again, I am not sure what I am looking at as I inspect. On these frames with the white looking egg/larvae I also see approx 30-40% capped brood. Only 3-5 frames in the bottom deep box seem to be being used by the queen but like i said, the hive is FULL of bees. maybe I just don't know what I am looking at.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

nice looking set up there ary. we have had a few days here already where the heat and humidity were high enough to not only have the entrance and front side of the hive completely covered with bees, but grapefruit sized beards hanging down. it's normal behavior.

see:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bee...la:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb


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## dawsong (Jun 9, 2013)

From what I am reading you have bearding on the front because heat inside the hive, Replace the bottom board with a screened bottom board.The next problem is to much honey,take 3 or 4 frames out an replace empty frames of foundation give them something to do.


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## BeeMoose (Oct 19, 2013)

First, I am a first year beekeeper. I wanted to chime in to tell you that this looks like one of my hives in the afternoon. I am guessing by reading here on Beesource that it
is a ventilation issue and the bees are just "chillin' ". (Or taking a break)


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## JWChesnut (Jul 31, 2013)

Looks normal to me. [edit] xxxx No bees fanning -- so heat in the hive is not driving the loungingxxx. 
On second look, a fair number of bees fanning. Try propping the top open with a popsicle stick, twig, or other shim. This allows the bees to draw air through the hive easily. Or just a twig between your two boxes will work , if you have a telescoping cover, and can't get a top ventilation crack.
Bearding bees will cluster several layers thick on the sunny side of the hive --- they are using their bodies to shade the hive. You are not seeing this. 

The bees may just be pre-forager age, and are relaxing before they graduate to work to exhaustion. You describe a moderate amount of brood, so the bees may belong to a cohort of a large hatch, and the egg numbers have dropped. The bees will cluster on the frame when heat is needed for the larvae and pupa, if the heat is not needed they go elsewhere. You may have out of work nurse bees, unemployed by the abrupt shift from brood to summer mode.


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

The bearding is normal. I would strongly suggest adding another super, extracting one if you have it. They may or may not draw out the foundation, but it will at least give them more room in the hive. 

Secondly, to aid in their ability to aircondition the hive, open the bottom entrance all the way if you have not yet done so. It is amazing to watch a booming hive at work without being obstructed with an entrance reducer. You will see some bees on one side of the entrance facing in, fanning. More bees on the other side facing out, fanning. They are masters at circulating air through the hive, evaporating the water they've brought in to cool the hive. You do not need a screened bottom board to cool the hive. Bees have been doing it successfully for millennia.
Kindest Regards,
Steven


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