# Bee cluster is not moving to the food



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If they have empty combs next to them, move those to the far end and put some full ones next to the cluster. Otherwise let them sort it out. Bee rearrange stores on warm days.


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## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

Michael Bush said:


> Bee rearrange stores on warm days.


Thanks for the response. Is 40 degrees and sunny warm enough? That's about as warm as it is going to get in the next 10 days and foreseeable future. I didn't know if it was worth breaking the propolis seal which would probably stay broken the rest of the winter.


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Anyone here want to venture a guess as to why bees that move vertically in a cold climate are having a hard time shifting horizontally to access a food source?



Smartest thing you could do is toss the top bar concept unless your combs are at least 18 inches deep.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Is 40 degrees and sunny warm enough? 
It's warm enough for the cluster to expand and move more easily but they won't break cluster.

>Anyone here want to venture a guess as to why bees that move vertically in a cold climate are having a hard time shifting horizontally to access a food source?

My "vertical" bees spend the entire winter at the top of the hive. They did this when I had double deeps and bottom entrances. They do it now. They seem to have trouble shifting vertically... I think bees move the cluster less than we think.

My top bar hives have wintered every bit as well as the vertical hives. It was -15 F a week and a half ago...


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

I have a single thb. This is my first winter with it. It filled about half the hive over the summer. I put some sugar block after the last comb bar and then a follower board.
Monday was nice out and I noticed a few bees going in and out but when i looked in the viewing it looked like a beeless hive. I got a light and saw a small cluster along the back wall not far from the exit hole. Still several bars with honey and the brick is untouched. It is disconcerting to see such a quiet hive.


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## Eric Crosby (Jan 4, 2015)

WBVC actually it is all just a human perspective. If you change your perspective you might like that colony more. Colonies that are nice and quiet at this time of year, even on warmer days, probably have everything they need and are doing just fine. If they are starting on their first round of brood they will not be moving off of that brood. I wouldn't judge that small cluster too quickly.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

It was about 40 and sunny the other day. I popped the quilt box off one of my Langs and I saw a line of bees like ants coming up into the top medium which is full of capped syrup. Then they turned around and marched back down. Assuming it was moving stores down to where the cluster is which is still entirely in the bottom deep. 

The same day I peaked in the windows of my top bar hives and they had spread out a lot at that temp compared to when it was 20 or -20 like it was a couple weeks ago.

The clusters, as far as I can tell, have barely moved at all at this point in any of our five hives.


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## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

It was about 42 today, so I decided I should move the honey combs up to the cluster and move the empty brood comb with the 1" of honey at the top to the back of the hive. I started to take out the two bars closest to the cluster (which is at the front of the hive) and they still had capped honey in the top 1" of the bar. I set the bars back down after only removing them about 2" up on one side and figured if there is capped honey next to the cluster they should be fine. I'm not sure what they have been eating since the cluster has been in the same place at the front of the hive since November when it got cold, but with honey next to them I figure there isn't much left for me to do. 
I also noticed about 5 -10 minutes after I closed it up, about 20 bees came out of the entrance and flew around a little. I was intrigued so I looked in the window and noticed that the cluster was spreading out. I'll look in the window again in the next few days and see if the cluster ended up moving after I disturbed them.


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## AugustC (Aug 7, 2013)

If you are concerned increase the insulation before you consider breaking the combs apart


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## cristianNiculae (Jul 2, 2013)

Michael Bush said:


> My "vertical" bees spend the entire winter at the top of the hive. They did this when I had double deeps and bottom entrances. They do it now. They seem to have trouble shifting vertically... I think bees move the cluster less than we think....


Mine too. I thought they had run out of stores when seing uncapped cells at the top, so I placed some sugar bricks upon them. Then later on a warmer day I had the chance of pulling 2 frames on one that was light and still had stores right at the centre of the frame. Anyway... the sugar was a must.

My guess is that they don't move up because they are quite comfortable with their situation.

All of my hives are eating the sugar except for 4-5 of them that are more powerfull and don't care about it.


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