Bees Bearding In Summer

Learn the ins and outs of beekeeping in summer. You may notice is your bees bearding in the heat of summer and some other puzzling actions.

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by AdobeStock/Keir

Learn the ins and outs of beekeeping in summer. You may notice is your bees bearding in the heat of summer and some other puzzling actions.

During the summer months, the bees continue to forage all morning, noon, and even into the night. Since the days are longer, the bees have more time to gather pollen, nectar, and water. Your colony will be at its greatest population during the summer months, with each member preparing for the coming winter.

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to remove your entrance reducer. Failing to do so could cause your hive to overheat. The summer heat will also cause the bees to be less active, and they will beard on the outside of the hive to stay cool.

Bearding

One thing you’ll notice that may seem weird during the dog days of summer is bearding. Bearding is when a lot of your bees hang out on the outside of their hive, in a formation that resembles a man’s beard. This bearding during the heat is different than the bearding you will see when your bees are getting ready to swarm.

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