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We just got 2 hives w/nucs 2 weeks ago. One hive seems to be doing fine, but the other has bees clustered at the bottom of the opening. They seem to be working and drawing out the combs, but the cluster is blocking the entrance. Should we be concerned?

Any suggestions?

From what you are describing, you purchased a couple of nucs which were installed into either 8 frame or 10 frame hive bodies?
The most important thing you can do is to keep feeding them for several weeks, if not longer. The bees need to draw out the foundation of at least the hive body and a super and fill them up so that they will have adequate stores for winter.
I do not believe that I would worry about the clustering in front of the entrance. On the next nice day simply verify that the queen is there and that she is laying eggs. If you see both of these things, then you can feel pretty confident that the bees will do the rest. Also watch for bees bringing in pollen at the front entrance, which is a sign that there is brood to feed.
Continue to compare between the two hives as they both should draw out the foundation on hand and eventually do exactly what you want.

Thanks for the advice. You're right, we got 2 nucs with 4 frames each that we put into 10 frame hives. We were worried that the queen had fallen to the bottom of the hive in one of them and didn't know if that was bad or not.

They are going through a lot of the nutrient solution, we've seen lots of pollen-laden legs going in, and they ate (?) the pollen cakes that we put on the top of the frames when we first got the, so I guess things are progressing nicely. It helps to have confirmation though.

This is really fascinating! We love sitting near the hives and watching the activity through binoculars. I sing to them when I go to get the sugar water jars for refilling and they seem to have gotten used to their new environment.

You are right! The bees are fascinating to watch.
Dont make the same mistake as I did and go into them too often. I think the first year I had hives; I was in them every chance I had. They survived, no thanks to me!
I now have 16 hives. It is really easy to get carried away.
Sounds like they are doing well if they have taken in all that pollen.
Keep me informed and let me know if I can be of assistance. I work near Oak Ridge and can swing over if necessary.

Kurt

We're new beekeepers with two hives. A little more than a week ago we added a super to each hive at the suggestion of a visiting friend. Because there's so much activity at the hives, today we 'peeked' to see how things were going. To our surprise, one hive had wads of honeycomb on top of the frames and its super was really full and heavy, so we decided to add another (we had them ready). The frames in the second hive were filling in, but there was no excess honeycomb and the two side frames were still awaiting attention. Should we have added the second super to that one, too, or should we wait?

And, what do you do with those wads of honeycomb, anyway?

SO MUCH to learn! So glad to have this forum.

Sorry for the late post!
Well your friend was right in encouraging you to add supers. As I am not sure exactly where you are it is difficult to give specifics for your area, but sounds like you have caught the tail end of the flow.
The first hive sounds very strong and you will need to monitor every week (or less) until the flow is over. When the comb is about 75% drawn you should add another super. If the colony is exceptional you can add 2 at a time. (This is not normal but does happen) The excess burr comb on top of the frames is normal though can be frustrating. You can scrape it off and eat it or just give it back to the bees. Set it anywhere near the hive and they will clean it up and restore it for you!
The second hive sounds normal but not quite as busy! No burr comb on top is OK and you can take the outside frames and move them in to encourage the bees to draw them. Just take one of the outer frames that is full and move it to the outsie and slide the empty one over. The bees will know what to do next. Add another super if 7 out of 10 frames have been drawn out.

Congatulations on what sounds like a good year!

Kurt