Bees bearding... which ones do it the most?

[spafmagic]

For a while, I have had a good amount of bees bearding on the surface of my hive... but now the surface of the hive is practically clear, which has me wondering whether or not house bees are are the primary ones that beard rather than the foragers. Or is it the other way around?

Either way a good glob of the bees that have been bearding, are no longer bearding.

[Seeb]

I'd like to know as well, mine are still bearding and are spreading propolis on the face of the hives

[AR Beekeeper]

When the temperature inside the hive reaches the point that evaporating water on the comb by fanning alone will not control the temperature of the comb the adult bees will exit the hive.  This is done by bees of all ages.  Foragers will not enter the hive and nurse bees will exit.  In very hot weather with heavy bearding if you open the hive the brood nest frames will have few bees tending to brood.  Some frames toward the center will have no bees on them at all.

[JojoBeeBoy]

I'm glad you brought up the temp thing. Years ago my Dad had bees that would beard in fairly large numbers every evening for maybe a month. He would say they were waiting to get unloaded, which may have been partially correct. After hearing your explanation, I'll bet the heat was the chief factor.

I use screened bottom boards, but I'm not married to them. I haven't had huge hives but I've had strong double deeps and never seen a beard on any of them. Perhaps the screen is helping.?.

[AR Beekeeper]

Open mesh bottom boards does reduce bearding due to heat.  It is often argued that this is not so, but it is easily proven by having both types of bottom boards in the same apiary and observing the result.

Both types of bottom boards work, and which a beekeeper should use depends on their area, goals, and manner of maintaining the colonies.  It is a little foolish for a hobbyist to expect a commercial beekeeper to keep bees in the same manner as he does, and it is the same for the commercial operation.

Open mesh bottom boards are more efficient in areas with high heat, and solid bottom boards are more efficient in very cold areas.  Controlled studies have shown that colonies on ombb's produce a little more honey, and studies have shown that in winter colonies on ombb's use a little more honey during the winter.

It all comes down to trying both and seeing which fits better with your style of beekeeping. 

[amymcg]

Hello AR

Do you happen to have a link to any of those studies? I would love to read them.


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[AR Beekeeper]

I remember the name of the study done in New South Wales by Doug Sommerville, "Research results into the usefulness of screened bottom boards."  There is a short video on YouTube by the same name.

The study on wintering was done by USDA in their Russian Bee Program in 1998 or 99.  The statement on the use of winter stores was that Russians on SBB versus solid bottoms used 10 to 15% more food over the winter.  The amount in pounds was about the weight of one medium frame of honey.  Winter survivability was the same on either style of bb.  The wintering was done out of doors, not shed wintering. 

[Ben Framed]

I remember the name of the study done in New South Wales by Doug Sommerville, "Research results into the usefulness of screened bottom boards."  There is a short video on YouTube by the same name.

The study on wintering was done by USDA in their Russian Bee Program in 1998 or 99.  The statement on the use of winter stores was that Russians on SBB versus solid bottoms used 10 to 15% more food over the winter.  The amount in pounds was about the weight of one medium frame of honey.  Winter survivability was the same on either style of bb.  The wintering was done out of doors, not shed wintering.

Mr Ar would the mountian camp method of feeding make up for the extra intake of honey if provided instead of the extra honey?  I am still amazed that the hive can survive the cold with an open screened bottom  🥶! Lol

[AR Beekeeper]

There was no shortage of food in the colonies, they did not eat all the food stored in their food chambers during the winter.  There was food in the chambers that took them into spring.  They were checked for the amount of food used, and the average used during the test period was much less than was available.

Mountain Camp method of feeding bees is very inefficient, it is much better to feed syrup in the fall until the amount necessary for overwintering is reached.  Mountain Camp should be viewed as an emergency feeding, and as a failure of the beekeeper to do his work properly.  Heavy feeding in the fall is better for a colony than feeding just enough to get the colony into spring and then having to feed in early spring.

[Ben Framed]

There was no shortage of food in the colonies, they did not eat all the food stored in their food chambers during the winter.  There was food in the chambers that took them into spring.  They were checked for the amount of food used, and the average used during the test period was much less than was available.

Mountain Camp method of feeding bees is very inefficient, it is much better to feed syrup in the fall until the amount necessary for overwintering is reached.  Mountain Camp should be viewed as an emergency feeding, and as a failure of the beekeeper to do his work properly.  Heavy feeding in the fall is better for a colony than feeding just enough to get the colony into spring and then having to feed in early spring.

Thanks AR

[AR Beekeeper]

Amymcg;  I found the name of the study with the information about the SBB and Russian Bees.  The name is "Overwintering of Russian Honey Bees in Northeast Iowa." The study was done by Villa, Rinderer and Bigalk.  I was wrong about the date, it was done in 2001,02, and 03. 

The average weight loss of the Russian colonies from November through April was <20 pounds, and SBBs increased this by 20%.  There was no effect on the size of the final size of the bee cluster between either type of bottom board.