North Carolina Bee School Practice Exam

What might you find hanging outside your hive landing board on a hot day?

1. Bee Beard

2. Honeycomb

3. Drone Congregation

4. Swarm Cluster

The correct answer is: Bee Beard

On a hot day, it is common to observe a bee beard hanging outside the hive landing board. A bee beard occurs when worker bees cluster together, often to cool down the hive by regulating the internal temperature. This behavior is a response to high temperatures, where bees create a mass of bees hanging from the exterior of the hive. When bees form a beard, they are able to hang onto each other and create a shaded area that helps to manage the heat. The bees on the outside will fan their wings to circulate air through the hive, contributing to cooling efforts. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable during hot weather when a hive may become over-populated, forcing some bees to temporarily leave the interior. The other options represent different scenarios not typically associated with the immediate exterior of a hive during hotter conditions. Honeycomb would be found within the hive, drone congregation usually occurs some distance away from the hive as drones wait for queens to mate, and a swarm cluster would indicate a different behavior usually related to a group of bees looking to establish a new colony, rather than just cooling off.