>>2814459
>having that many bees sitting on the outside
There's something wrong with your hive. My guess yould be not nough airflow, or way too much sun in hot temperatures. Bees only leave the hive like that in two situations: either they're just about to swarm, or it's so hot inside the hive that the brood is about to die, and they're leaving as a last resort so they don't add any heat.

>not harvesting honey bcs "hive health"
That's plain retarded. modern breeds gather way too much, and will quickly fill so much space that they can no longer breed. That's when swarms happen, and it can go to the point where the entire hive collapses from excess swarming.
Even if you manage to get through the year without swarms, the honey will fill so much of the comb that they won't be able to raise enough bees for winter.
If a hive has more than 10-15kg (temperate zones) or 15-20 kg (subarctic) of honey, you NEED to harvest at least part of it.

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Beekeeping happens outdoors. /HIVE/