Hive Entrance Trash
by Ruhl Bee on 06/10/12
Quite often, we receive questions about dead bees and debri on the front entrance of the hive. On a rainy day following a sunny day, the colony will put more of its efforts into housekeeping, resulting in trash on the front entrance. You would not normally see more than a few dead bees scattered aross the entrance. If you see much more, it could be an indication of something more than housekeeping.
On a similar note, if you install an old brood comb into the hive, the bees will set to work cleaning out the cells, and for a few days following installation, you will often see small chunks of pollen and debri on the entrance. This is normal. However, before installing, consider the risk of latent pathogen build-up in the old comb. For example, foulbrood spores can remain in the comb for decades.
