# Clustering at hive entrance normal?



## Graperunner (Mar 13, 2012)

cpm said:


> I'm new to Warre, having only had horizontal top bar previously. I'm puzzled by a difference in behavior between my Warre and my TBHs. While there are almost no bees on the outside of the TBHs, the Warre (which is right next to them) always has a baseball-size cluster of bees filling up the entrance and landing board. Even at night and during cool weather.
> 
> Is this typical for a Warre (or just any hive with a landing board)?


How big is your Warre hive? It could be that they just nead more room.


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## cpm (Mar 8, 2011)

Currently 2 boxes. I just transferred the colony from a nuc; the top box is full of comb, and the bottom box has 3. Considering there are still 5 empty bars in the bottom box I thought they still had enough room.


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## Groves (Feb 2, 2012)

There can be a lot of reasons for a small cluster. Aside from that, many of us add another box to the bottom when the comb reaches halfway down.

Adding a box to the bottom is called nadiring.

Once the colony decides it's going to leave or split, it's not easy to change their minds.

What are your plans for adding more boxes, anyway? Seems like a lot of flow left. It's best to give them plenty of room.

Are the three combs in the bottom full height yet?


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## cpm (Mar 8, 2011)

This Warre was populated by transfer from a topbar nuc. I cut down the combs a bit to make them fit. So they are all full height comb.


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