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I got home early from work & found this about 3:30pm. We just had a huge storm blow over and more bad weather in the area.

It looks like a swarm that has gathered at the back of your hive. When I first looked at the picture, I thought it was just your hive bearding, but I see that your entrance is to the left of the photograph. Some of your bees are bearding at the front of your hive. I have not seen a hive beard at the backside. Swarms are sometimes attracted to the smell of other hives.

If you have the equipment, hive them up and see what they do.

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately I do not have equipment. They may be from the hive they are attached to - i saw some questionable cell on it Sunday. I have 2 and both hives are bearding. I'm planning on going into the hives tomorrow mid-morning for inspections. Marc said he would bring a nuke by tomorrow in case they are still around.

Here's another view of that hive. Note the unpainted medium super on top. i ran out of room 2 weeks ago & put this on in haste. This is a new package March 30 install.

here's the other pic

I would check the back of the hive for an entrance. Maybe a torn screen or something. It looks like a beard on an alternative entrance.

Why would they 'beard' like that around an alternative entrance? Rob mentioned they might be my bees at the entrance & a swarm at the rear... I just went out to check them (8:30pm) and they are still grouped that way. Thoughts?

Rob may well be right, but if they have more than one entrance, they will beard at all entrances. The front beard looks to be about the same size as the rear cluster, whatever it might be.

Here are 2 pictures from my 8:30 visit. Tighter groups. More in the back than the front. bees still going into the hive entrance

Why do you still have the entrance reducer on? That may be what is causing them to beard.

Do you have a screen bottom board? If so, is the mite count board still in it?

its a new hive install as of March this year. I thought the recommendation was an entrance reducer for the first year of a new install(?)

Yes, i have a screened bottom board & a the mite count cor-x panel is still in place.

btw, I have never seen much congestion of bees on either of my hives at the entrance... until today

Get the cor-x panel out. It should only be in when checking for mite drop. Open the entrance reducer to the larger entrance or remove it. The hive is starving for ventilation. The reducer should be adjusted for the traffic flow, not by the calendar. The bees should have enough entrance to allow an even flow in and out, without a traffic jam.

Thanks for the help!