Bearding is a behavior where bees cluster on the outside of their hive, often due to heat or overcrowding inside. Are they forming hives in the telephone pole? Or is there a hive nearby? If not, this may not be bearding in the traditional sense.
When bees are gathering on a telephone pole at night away from their hive, it could be related to swarming behavior, where a group of bees leaves their hive in search of a new home. Or, given that it’s night, the telephone pole might be serving as a temporary resting spot. Or, there could be something on the pole that they are attracted to.
It’s a little unusual because bees aren’t typically out during the night. However, when they are active at night, it’s usually because of human disturbance or high temperatures/humidity.
I have bees coming in my window or coming from my up stairs bed room
I can’t go in my kitchen
My kid and I my cats r literally stuck in my bed room
Messaged my landlord 5:00 am of course no response too early
I’m not sure what to do
I’ve had foragers returning to my hives past 10:15 P.M. in August, so if there is a colony inside the pole, they may just be returning for the night. I can’t answer why they are so low to the ground, though. When they choose a location in the wild, they tend to be at least 5 or so feet off the ground. I would guess that it is some behavior related to swarming. While it is not unheard of, especially in recent years, it is quite late for a swarm. They tend to be done with this by the beginning of July where I’m at in Northern Michigan.