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
