Author Topic: Robbing bees (Read 15738 times)

iddee · « **Reply #20 on:** October 01, 2014, 09:09:20 pm »

Closer to nightfall when robbing is expected. Robbers go home at night. Less time for them to do their damage.

Gypsi · « **Reply #21 on:** October 01, 2014, 10:20:49 pm »

I would do the inspection near evening as Iddee suggested. Start about 5:30 pm maybe, as long as it isn't cloudy, and be sure your smoker is well loaded and not with hot stuff (what are you using for smoker fuel?)

I MIGHT have to come into town to pick up a grandchild saturday evening, so if you want me to look with you let me know in advance. No guarantee on availability, I'm bouncing around my daughter's schedule.

ledifni · « **Reply #22 on:** October 01, 2014, 10:54:07 pm »

To be honest, though most beekeeping sites say never disturb the bees at night, I have yet to be stung at night around my hives. In fact, even if I go out there without any gear and just scope out the hive by red light, I'm all right as long as I keep an eye out for crawling bees and avoid them. Just did that in fact...no problems at all. I can understand why you wouldn't want to open the hive up and do an inspection at night, but for most simple things it seems all right.

That said, when I went out there just now I removed the cover on the bottom board because they've been bearding a whole lot. When I did, it was covered in hive beetles and clumpy stuff that looked like cottony dust -- not sure what that stuff was. In any case, I'm really worried about the health of my hive. I think I might just go ahead and open it tomorrow and check things out...and then decide what to do. I'm going to add some beetle sheets for sure. Other than that? I'm just hoping and praying I don't lose this hive :(

On the plus side, it has a lot of bees and I'm pretty sure still a healthy laying queen. Plus, most of the frames from the original nuc are (or were, at least, last Saturday) full of honey. That just might be enough to give them strength. We'll see. Any advice would be great to hear, especially advice on things to look for when I open the hive tomorrow evening.

ledifni · « **Reply #23 on:** October 01, 2014, 10:56:38 pm »

Yes Gypsi, if you have time Saturday and you want to look over the hive with me, that would be wonderful. Don't skimp on your time with your grandchild though

Family is important.

riverbee · « **Reply #24 on:** October 01, 2014, 11:38:29 pm »

"when I went out there just now I removed the cover on the bottom board because they've been bearding a whole lot. When I did, it was covered in hive beetles and clumpy stuff that looked like cottony dust -- not sure what that stuff was."

hmmm, this doesn't sound good ledifni......covered in hive beetles and clumpy white stuff? you need to take a closer look at this hive.....

Gypsi · « **Reply #25 on:** October 01, 2014, 11:41:58 pm »

if you already have a beetle sheet in there and the bees don't like it they will chew at it and pitch it, and the hive beetles on the front porch. One of my hives cut a neat circle out of a beetle sheet and dropped it on the sbb to confuse me.

riverbee · « **Reply #26 on:** October 01, 2014, 11:54:40 pm »

gypsi, not having had to deal with shb.......the clumpy white stuff that ledifni is describing could this be from a beetle sheet being chewed on, if he's using one?
i have no idea! thankfully we don't have to deal with shb up here.

ledifni · « **Reply #27 on:** October 02, 2014, 12:13:59 am »

Oh, just noticed your other question Gypsi. For smoker fuel I'm using the stuff in the 5-lb bag they sell at brushymountainbeefarm.com. It's supposed to be pure compressed cotton fibers, and it works pretty well. I've felt the smoke coming out of the smoker, and it just feels like air -- not hot at all.

Gypsi · « **Reply #28 on:** October 02, 2014, 12:25:48 am »

the beetlesheets work because the bees chew on them creating tangly fibers that trap the beetles, but yes, chewed up fibers would look cottony dusty (although I think the sheets are polyester)

riverbee · « **Reply #29 on:** October 02, 2014, 12:43:29 am »

thanks gypsi.....i have no experience with shb or beetle sheets, so perhaps what ledifni is finding.

Jen · « **Reply #30 on:** October 02, 2014, 01:33:33 am »

Hey Led, if you take pics of the inside of your hive, it really helps us help identify what may be worrying you ~

riverbee · « **Reply #31 on:** October 02, 2014, 01:30:52 pm »

for ledifni and others:
good info on robbing/robbing behavior here:

Robber Bees ~ Robbing Behavior

ledifni · « **Reply #32 on:** October 02, 2014, 03:39:04 pm »

Ah ok. I realized what the fluffy cottony stuff is. When I installed my robber screen I pushed bits of newspaper into the entrance to block it off so the bees wouldn't try to crawl out while I was stapling up their entrance. After I put in the screen I pushed the newspaper in so they could chew it up and get rid of it, and promptly forgot about it...and of course they chewed it up and dropped it through the screen, just like they were supposed to

The hive beetles, I think, are getting a foothold because the bees are so busy fighting off robbers. I'm going to open the hive this evening, inspect, put in beetle sheets, and take pics, and I'll post them here if I see anything that concerns me. Thank you all for listening to all my dumb questions

iddee · « **Reply #33 on:** October 02, 2014, 06:34:01 pm »

If the hive is in any shade during the day, move it. Get it into full sunlight. SHB love shade.

Jen · « **Reply #34 on:** October 02, 2014, 08:50:22 pm »

No such thing as a dumb question Led! there is sooo much to learn with honey bees nowa days I've had to ask some questions over and over and I never got yelled at that I know of

riverbee · « **Reply #35 on:** October 02, 2014, 11:00:53 pm »

"Ah ok. I realized what the fluffy cottony stuff is. When I installed my robber screen I pushed bits of newspaper into the entrance to block it off so the bees wouldn't try to crawl out while I was stapling up their entrance. After I put in the screen I pushed the newspaper in so they could chew it up and get rid of it, and promptly forgot about it...and of course they chewed it up and dropped it through the screen, just like they were supposed to "

.........

ps ledifni, there are no dumb questions......just questions on a great learning adventure when it comes to bees.....

ledifni · « **Reply #36 on:** October 02, 2014, 11:13:13 pm »

Yep and they're amazing little creatures aren't they? I'm incredibly excited about it, even with the work and the worrying and all that

By the way my girls survived a ridiculously bad storm today. 70+ MPH winds. But I have a brick on top of the super and a very heavy roof, and they're just fine

ledifni · « **Reply #37 on:** October 15, 2014, 07:21:43 pm »

Just an update for you all -- the robbers seem to have given up finally

I haven't seen any around the hive for about a week. The robber screen helped, but I think there must be a nectar flow on (I hope there is), because all I see are my bees coming in and out. Thanks for all the help and advice!

Jen · « **Reply #38 on:** October 16, 2014, 12:49:34 am »

Sure thing Led. My robbers are back in about 1/2 hour. I was having a most pleasant early afternoon two days ago in my hives, bees as pleasant as can be. Then the robbers came and I felt like I was in the middle of an army. Creepy. So my screens are staying on until all are in a cluster!

Gypsi · « **Reply #39 on:** October 16, 2014, 09:29:13 am »

Hoping you never see a last wave of robbers like I had in 2011. at least 25,000 bees, a swarm 6 ft wide and 8 ft long came in to attack my small hive. I threw the sheet back over it, had a robber screen on it, and a sprinkler in position near the front that I only had to turn on to "make it rain", but they pried past the robber screen in 3 spots and I lost the hive. My only hive. It was very sad. My crew was out here building the greenhouse when it happened, I walked through a cloud of bees carrying the sheet and they followed me. None of us were stung. One of the most amazing things I have ever seen.