> Most of the discussion here paints bearding as a bad thing that we should attempt to eliminate. I don't think we have evidence to support that. 

For a hobby beekeeper with hives in view of the neighbors, bearding bees look threatening.  This is one step less intimidating than swarming, to civilians, and it takes a lot of persistent education to get them calmed down.

The first summer I had hives atop a particular building, the co-op super once left me a voice mail reporting the bearding, and asking me to come at once, because the bees were "locked out of their apartment".

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