2026: Cliffe Castle Bee Blog 12

Anthony and I checked the bees today (13 July) on a very warm

morning. Lots of bees in the hive, but a slight reduction in the queen’s

rate of lay – eggs, larvae and sealed brood on 6 frames this week. Once

again, the bees are using any spare space to store nectar and pollen.

We removed another frame of stores that was almost fully capped (the

nectar has been concentrated into honey under those capped cells) and

put in another frame of foundation to replace it.

These bees tend to clump together when we take the side off the

observation hive, which I find unusual in this context.

When it gets warm, bees kept in a traditional hive outdoors may well

gather around the entrance and front of the structure to help reduce the

temperature inside – we call this behaviour “bearding” I’m seeing this

behaviour in several of my colonies at home in this heat wave.

Numbers of these bees around the entrance can be seen facing inwards

and furiously fanning their wings. Inside the hive, there may well be lines

of bees facing outward and fanning. They are helping to operate the first

stage of a simple, but effective, air-conditioning system, that the colony

uses to make sure that the temperature in the nest does not get hotter

than 36C to prevent the eggs from drying out. The fanning helps to

circulate air, replacing warmer with cooler. If temperatures continue high,

some of the older foragers, who usually collect nectar or pollen, can be

recruited to collect water instead. This is spread on top of the frames

and on top of the cells on the comb. The bees’ fanning helps cause the

water to evaporate, to circulate a cool “breeze” and regulate the

temperature of the nest. Aren’t they amazing?

This process to keep a steady state temperature inside the nest, despite

what is happening outside, is called homeostasis.

Still not sure why our bees are clumping together when we open

observation hive, though. Perhaps it’s “just the way they roll!” Thanks to

Anthony for helping today.

Linda