Bees on one side of hive

B+. said:

The greater the surface area, the quicker it will dry out.

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As i said put it in a bag or cling film, i had some on for 2 months. & it was as fresh as when i put it on.

Nige.Coll said:

Last winter I had the frames the cold way and the bees worked from right to left across the brood box. Finished against the side wall.
This year they are mainly at the front as frames are the warm way now due to no other reason than it makes it easier to inspect them with the layout of my apiary.

This explains it a little some agree some don't but that's beekeeping .
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/cwww.html

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All my frames are cold way and they cluster mainly near the front of the hive. That is the 'side' that is furthest from the winter prevailing wind.

jonnybeegood said:

As i said put it in a bag or cling film, i had some on for 2 months. & it was as fresh as when i put it on.

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I think it depends on the brand. Some fondant will dry out quite quickly.

Do any of you who use cling film noticed any casualties. On the two occasions I have seen cling film used as a wrap for fondant, the bees have shredded it into such fine strands some have ended up strangled by/entangled in it. (Or am I just being too soft in being concerned about bees ending up like this?)

midnight sun said:

All my frames are cold way and they cluster mainly near the front of the hive. That is the 'side' that is furthest from the winter prevailing wind.

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I have my hives set with frames front to back , so therefore they were eating their was across the frames and not from frame to frame as they would have had to do if the frames were the other way. This was a 90% full shallow boxes left on over winter.

Dishmop said:

I have my hives set with frames front to back , so therefore they were eating their was across the frames and not from frame to frame as they would have had to do if the frames were the other way. This was a 90% full shallow boxes left on over winter.

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Hi Dishmop. Would you say they were keeping away from the 'colder' side of the box during their movement. (that is, not risking moving to stores that were near the 'cold' or vulnerable side of the box)?

bontbee said:

Do any of you who use cling film noticed any casualties. On the two occasions I have seen cling film used as a wrap for fondant, the bees have shredded it into such fine strands some have ended up strangled by/entangled in it. (Or am I just being too soft in being concerned about bees ending up like this?)

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I gave up on cling film when I noticed they had tried to haul a huge piece out of the hive via the front door.
Cazza

midnight sun said:

Hi Dishmop. Would you say they were keeping away from the 'colder' side of the box during their movement. (that is, not risking moving to stores that were near the 'cold' or vulnerable side of the box)?

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Well they were moving away from the front which is more open to the elements than the back, and leaving empty cells behind them.

Dishmop said:

Well they were moving away from the front which is more open to the elements than the back, and leaving empty cells behind them.

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Thanks Dishmop. Same as mine. Just wanted to confirm the theory. (Hope you get sorted soon by the way). Regards Dave

midnight sun said:

Thanks Dishmop. Same as mine. Just wanted to confirm the theory. (Hope you get sorted soon by the way). Regards Dave

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Thankyou... All donations gratefully accepted.

Dishmop said:

Thankyou... All donations gratefully accepted.

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Put it on my 'tab' then.

Dishmop said:

Well they were moving away from the front which is more open to the elements than the back, and leaving empty cells behind them.

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I doubt it's as simple as that... Even in still air it ain't simple...

The frames in my hives are warm way. Two of the hives worked their way across the frames and are now on the ones that are on the more exposed side of the hive. Except for the smaller colony...an over wintered nuc....these bees stayed in the same place all winter...after they started flying and making brood are now across all the frames at the front of the hive away from the prevailing winds. They are in poly hives and were fed with fondant from January onwards. It is interesting how they move around the hive. The big colony always has loads of bees on the top rails ..right across all the rails. But the main area, they occupy is on the face of the frame, on the exposed side of the hive now. Perhaps they are eating the stores on that side...or perhaps the queen has laid brood there.
I haven't been inside my hives yet....but I put in the varroa boards to monitor varroa drop and noticed the small amount of wax powder on the board.

derekm said:

I doubt it's as simple as that... Even in still air it ain't simple...

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Not understanding that!!

Dishmop said:

Not understanding that!!

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heat distribution in hives is not as simple as it first seems. I'm currently studying the still air scenario. Heat flows out of unexpected places and fails to flow in some expected ones. Its ..... interesting