>Are you seeing bees coming in during early Spring and the temperature
drops quickly

> and the bees land around the front of the hive but cannot make it inside?
>

I can see where you're leading, but don't think that falling temp is the
issue.

From memory, when I've seen in the past, it was mostly in the morning, so
temperatures, although cool, would be rising.  I've been looking since
Brion posted, but haven't seen any such dead pollen carriers this spring.

I always thought it odd, since as Brion said, they seem to have made it 99%
of the way back, but are in the grass just a few inches shy of the
entrance.  Perhaps such heavily-loaded pollen carriers simply miscalculate
their landing approach speed, and drop a few inches shy of the hive, and
then chill from exhaustion.  Nosema could well be involved.

Brion, have you checked later in the day to see whether those bees then
eventually made it into the hive?

If I see any, I will pay more attention!

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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