Why Are Bees Clustering At The Hive Entrance?

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Why are bees clustering at the hive entrance? There are a number of answers to this question – depending on which answer it depends on if we do nothing, or immediately work on the hive! 

Let us have a look at what a big “bee beard” on the hive means and how we can work out what to do if we need to do anything.

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Day Time Cluster - bee behavior at the hive entrance during the day, where the bees will cluster and form a big mass of bees, you will need to use the following diagnostic.

Why Are Bees Clustering At The Hive Entrance?

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Is The Weather Warm Or Even Hot – 80°F Or More? -  If the weather is hot, the bees will sometimes cluster outside the hive because it gets too hot inside the hive.

Why Are Bees Clustering At The Hive Entrance?

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Is The Weather Mild and Cool, But Spring Is Approaching? -  You can requeen the hive, and put on supers to give them more space. This can stop a swarm. 

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Nighttime Clusters

hives to always have a small night cluster at the entrance during spring, summer, and fall.

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Bee Behavior At The Hive Entrance

What Time Of Day Do Bees Swarm? - At different times of the year, they tend to swarm at different times of the day.

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Bee Behavior At The Hive Entrance

How Do You Know When A Bee Is Swarming? -  A swarm is a very distinctive thing, and walking in a swarm is a magical experience. 

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ADVICE

When bees swarm they will normally fly out of the hive and go and cluster on a tree or bush close to the hive. From here they will reorganize, and the next day they will fly away, normally at least a few miles or more, and find a nice site to scout and look for a new nesting site.

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