Beehive Bearding is often a very scary site for the new beekeeper. This most often happens with strong colonies in the hot humid summertime. Temperatures inside the colony must be kept near 92 degrees F to support proper brood rearing. If the temp gets too high – brood will die. Bees control internal temperatures by fanning air throughout the hive, as well as placing water drops on the surface of the comb to provide evaporative cooling. To aid in the process, a large number of bees will often be seen hanging on the outside of the hive (we call this bearding) especially in the late afternoon and evenings of the summer. While this activity is not an indicator for swarming, it does mean that the colony may be strong and may need additional monitoring. So, don’t be too alarmed at the site of a large beehive beard, it is just another wonderful miracle of the bee.
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