# Help, bees are on the outside of hive at night and...



## brenninpalfrey

I have been beekeeping for a few years now and noticed that one of my hives that I started from a five frame nuc this year in April are always super busy and often times have a bunch of bees on the outside of the hive at night. And when it is night and dark they go back in but I can see them all clusters on the bottom of the brood box. They don't seem To be bearding because it is only 65 degrees out. Any more experienced beekeepers know what going on.






I live in central Oregon if that helps.


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## Bkwoodsbees

Have you checked.for swarm cells? You might need to add another box or super. The answer you are looking for is in the hive.


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## brenninpalfrey

I have added another box and a super. I have not looked for swarm cells because it is a first year hive.


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## spokexx

Are you using a screened bottom board? I am and it makes sense that since the bees have a bit extra burr comb (usually drone sized) at the bottom of the frames near the bottom board with larvae or capped brood in it, they cluster there at night to keep it warm from the outside chill. And since my hive is elevated, some bees fly underneath and cling to the outside of the screened bottom board during the day and night. Some nites they stay there until morning. 

Another note, I bought a 5 frame nuc the first weekend of April (incidentally it was 27 degrees that morning with snow on the ground. Crazy spring we had here) On May 14 they swarmed. I wasnt expecting that since it was a "new" colony but in reality they werent new. They were overwintered from down in Georgia and shipped up here to PA. They already had queen cells on frames when in the cardboard nuc box at time of purchase. I scraped them away when I transferred them to the 10 frame deep with 5 empty frames, but they already knew they wanted to swarm even though i provided them space. Swarming can happen whenever they feel they want to, so "new" colonies or first year colonies doesnt mean they can't/won't swarm. Just a tip


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## GaryG74

brenninpalfrey said:


> I have added another box and a super. I have not looked for swarm cells because it is a first year hive.


I've had swarms swarm after only six weeks of being hived. They filled the deep and medium they were in then swarmed. "first year hive" means nothing to the bees if they run out of space. They didn't read the book and do what they want.

If you've had high humidity, that may be causing the bearding or hanging out on the hive front at night. If there's no flow right now, you have a lot of unemployed bees also. They're hanging out to cut down on heat inside the hive.


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## WD9N

I purchased a 5 frame nuc of buckfast this spring. They where busting full when I moved them into the 10 frame and they had several swarm cells on the bottoms of frames. If your bees had been crowded and got the urge to swarm, they may still do it. Get in there and inspect.


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## BGhoney

Sometimes a slatted rack can help with over crowding, some people will just put a empty super under the deeps to give the field bees a place to cluster without jamming up the brood chamber, rumored to reduce swarming. Lots of options.


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## AmericasBeekeeper

Welcome!


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