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What Is a Beard of Bees?

M.C. Huguelet
M.C. Huguelet

The term beard of bees has two possible meanings. In its first sense, it refers to a phenomenon in which bees hang from the side of a hive in a beard-like formation. It is believed that this behavior is caused by the buildup of excess heat within a hive. A beard of bees can also refer to the practice, most common among bee experts and thrill-seekers, of allowing a very large number of bees to sit on the body, sometimes as part of a competition.

For many beekeepers and biologists, the term beard of bees usually refers to a behavior in which bees emerge from a hive and then drape down from its side by clinging to one another. This hanging buildup of bees gives the hive the appearance of having a beard. Bee experts believe that this kind of bee beard is a natural behavior that occurs when the inside of a hive has become too hot. By hanging outside of the hive, the bees allow themselves and their hive to cool down. They generally return to the inside of their hive once their temperature has dropped.

Individuals who are allergic to bee stings may experience hives.
Individuals who are allergic to bee stings may experience hives.

To some people, a beard of bees is a kind of extreme sport or stunt in which an individual allows a large number of bees to rest on his body. Creating this kind of beard involves placing a queen bee in a cage and then attaching the cage below one’s chin. When bees smell hormones given off by their queen, they instinctively gather around her. Therefore, when a queen is placed near a person’s chin, the bees of that queen’s hive gather on and around that individual’s chin to protect the queen. When the caged queen is removed, the bees follow her and the beard disperses.

Often, this type of beard of bees is formed as part of a competition. Contestants in such competitions are usually judged by the total weight of the bees that come to rest on their bodies. Competitors may attract bees to the chin, neck, and face areas only, or may allow their entire bodies to be covered by the insects. Bee “beards” which cover the entire body can weigh more than 50 pounds (22 kg). While many people find the notion of bee bearding frightening, bearding enthusiasts hold that as long as bees are kept calm during the process, they tend not to sting.

Discussion Comments

fify

I was in the audience of a beard of bees contest a few weeks ago. It was the craziest thing I've ever seen.

There were two contestants, both of whom were professional beekeeper. They each hung the queen bee on their head and let the bees swarm them. Whoever got the most bees and could keep them on their body the longest won the contest.

The contestants didn't seem scared, the audience was more scared than they were. There were a lot of bees, several hundreds for sure.

SarahGen

@ddljohn-- When the beards start getting very long and occur more and more frequently, I believe it means that the hive is getting too overcrowded. That's why they're so hot and need to go out to cool down.

You can help them out by ventilating the hive. I put holes in the hive for this purpose. If you can pull the hive lid back and let more air inside, do that as well.

ddljohn

I understand that it's normal for bees to hang from the side of the hide, but is it also normal for the "beards" to get very big? The beards I've been seeing on our hives are at least seven inches. My wife and I started bee hives last year and are fairly new at this. Do we need to do anything about the bee beards?

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    • Individuals who are allergic to bee stings may experience hives.
      By: John Tomaselli
      Individuals who are allergic to bee stings may experience hives.