a great pdf file on bee bearding, with some great photos to help you identify bearding versus swarming; and also discusses the differences of bearding vs. swarming.
from the article:
"What is bearding?
It’s the clustering or hanging of older bees out at the front of the hive during very hot weather. When bees do that it looks like the hive has a beard. This
behaviour coincides with the onset of the hot humid days and nights (midJune to August). Bearding begins when the summer temperatures reach 38°C (100°F) or more. On hot and humid evening, many bees will loiter through the night and even during the day outside the hive clinging to the front of the hive or on the landing board doing nothing. Some hives will form large beards of bees, covering the whole front of the brood box. Some will beard much more. This has to do with the temperature inside the hive, space available, and the population (crowding) of the hive. A hive with plenty of ventilation will probably have less bees gathering on the front of it"
discusses:
Why Bees Beard
Bearding and Swarming
What Should The Beekeeper Do? with some tips.
pdf article here:
The Phenomenon of Bee Beardingfor myself, i don't use screen bottom boards. entrances; i have 2 entrances year round, bottom and top. my top entrances are wider notches cut out of my inner cover (about 3-3 1/2 inches) notch side down on the top brood box rather than notch side up. i don't use entrance reducers through spring, summer and early fall months, unless a new hive, nuc, or potential robbing. i use 9 frames in my deeps rather than 10. i use a ventilation box similar to tim arheits design of honey run apiaries. i build these myself, and started using them several years ago, they work for me and seem to improve ventilation. before i started building and using these, i would tip the outer cover back on the tops of my hives. location and water; my bees fortunately have a nearby river for a water source. location is limited for me because of the bears. i keep my hives in an old rectangular corn crib that has a tin roof on top, surrounded by electric fencing. shelter from hot summer sun, rain and snow, but in the winter months, my hives do not receive a great deal of sunlight. we will all have trade offs for locating hives, just do the best you can.
please share your bearding pix, i know iddee has some good ones, and also anyone who has pix of their vent boxes, marbees? can't remember who uses these.....LOL!
also, please post any pictures or share information you have relative to this subject to share with others on how you do it. ventilation, location, water, equipment, etc.
bees will always beard, but there are some some things we can do as beekeepers to recognize it and keep them from getting overheated and help them control and maintain a constant temp in the hive.
