Jim Moore wrote
>        Last night around midnight I went and looked
>and the entire entrace was covered with bees, in some
>places 2 or 3 deep. I'm assuming it is normal behaviour
>for a healthy vigorus hive.
>        Is it normal, and what is the reason?
>        I haven't checked the second deep but would
>assume there is plenty of comb left to draw. Are these
>mostly young bees with to little to do and waiting for
>their wax glands to kick in? Or maybe the bees leave
>the hive to increase the surface area exposed for
>evaporating the nectar? Very few bees were fanning
>however.
> One last thought, do the young bees need to
>dry/cure the bodies? If so is the humidity inside the
>hive to high, so they go outside for some dryier air?
 
One of the problems with hives and lots of foundation, the bees have nowhere
to cluster, bees don't normally cluster on foundation. A lot of those bees
will be field bees, as such it's a bit like 'Mum' "get out from under my
feet"!! The house bees kick the field bees out on a warm night, just wait
till it gets a bit chilly, then watch how quick they get invited back in!!
        I would suggest you have a real good look at newlly emerged baby
bees on a frame. They are smaller to look at, often greyish in color, and
very hairy. that's the ones just emerged, dry, not yet full size,but correct
in every detail. No, they don't have to cure!!
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