Author Topic: Robbing (Read 6047 times)

Mikey N.C. · « **on:** June 19, 2016, 09:53:21 am »

Found yesterday that my weaker hive looked like robbing, about a dozen dead bees in front of box , 4 or5 fighting, reduced entrance to small opening this morning a dozen more dead bees not that much fighting, only seen 1 fighting, there a lot louder than normal, don't see any wax on the porch, bees still bringing in pollen, do I need to shut this box with #8 wire ?

Chip Euliss · « **Reply #1 on:** June 19, 2016, 10:03:53 am »

Mikey, has the nectar flow slowed down? Might explain why your bees don't want to draw comb too.

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #2 on:** June 19, 2016, 10:10:10 am »

Yes I think so, cause they have been drinking sugar water like crazy

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #3 on:** June 19, 2016, 11:18:48 am »

I've been watching the hive about every 30 mins. seems to have stopped fighting, but the bees are still loud

efmesch · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2016, 03:11:20 pm »

Mikey, take a look at this link:
http://www.worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php/topic,1420.msg44188/topicseen.html#msg44188
It was posted by Iddee a good while back and shows, with the aid of pictures, how to make a simple "robber screen" to protect hives from attack by robbers from other hives. Those who have used them report having met with great success.

Jen · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2016, 04:12:55 pm »

Hey Mikey, if you see big time robbing going on, you have to shut that down asap. This is what I learned on the forum for those times when it may be difficult to stop the robbing with entrance reducers right away. Get any kind of sheet and throw it over the hive, then if you have a hose available you can spray down the sheet a bit. It helps that sheet kind of suck up to the hive. It knocks down the robbing within minutes, then you can remove the sheet and get your entrance reducers on.

Also, good advice from Ef, I have robbing screens I have to put on later in the summer.

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #6 on:** June 22, 2016, 07:19:49 am »

Thanks everyone, built a screen seem to be working good

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #7 on:** June 22, 2016, 07:50:30 pm »

They are still fighting, 3 fights every_4 mins., need to save this hive , need help, bed sheet again , wet ?

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #8 on:** June 22, 2016, 08:00:22 pm »

Its like the robbers, found the small entrance ? Or have they ( robbers) is it possible? Do I just have to shut both hives down

Don't have a clue if its my bees , or feral

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #9 on:** June 22, 2016, 08:29:32 pm »

I'm still losing bees , don't know what to do

Chip Euliss · « **Reply #10 on:** June 22, 2016, 08:30:54 pm »

Probably easiest to move them a couple miles away if you can. If the robbers are from your own strong hive, trade their positions so the weak one is where the strong one is and vice versa. You'll loose some field bees from the strong hive but your weak hive will add some--they're both your hives so you're just changing their demographics a bit. That might solve the problem unless the robbers are not your own bees. If you've opened them up recently, the robbers will sometimes find any gaps and raid the hive through those openings. I've had strong hives robbed when I've had too many bees here and, as crazy as it seems, I'd work the hive and when robbing started, I'd put a sprinkler on top of the hive being robbed and turn the water on. In that case, the bees just needed some time to patch up the openings I made when I worked them. Usually doesn't take long to stop the robbing. Not all my hives are bee tight

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #11 on:** June 22, 2016, 08:33:41 pm »

Here is another

CBT · « **Reply #12 on:** June 22, 2016, 09:11:49 pm »

Do you have a way to feed both hives. That might slow them down. If you smoke them the robbers will fly away for a short time to tell how much of a problem you have.

iddee · « **Reply #13 on:** June 22, 2016, 09:19:40 pm »

That pic doesn't look like robbing to me. I would let it go for another day or two. I think it's just the hive defending itself from a few trying to get in, and doing it successfully.

This is robbing.

Jen · « **Reply #14 on:** June 22, 2016, 10:58:22 pm »

Also Mike, it takes a few days for the bees to figure out how to learn the new in and out of a robbing screen. Seems they get into a traffic jam at first, especially the foragers coming back home.

riverbee · « **Reply #15 on:** June 22, 2016, 11:06:20 pm »

mikey, put robbing screens on ALL YOUR hives..........stops the strongest hives from robbing the weaker hives, and the weaker hives can defend themselves better til you figure it out.

Jen · « **Reply #16 on:** June 22, 2016, 11:12:13 pm »

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #17 on:** June 23, 2016, 05:20:24 am »

Thanks, I'll leave it be,
Just really worried. CBT I'm feeding both hives.

efmesch · « **Reply #18 on:** June 23, 2016, 05:53:12 am »

You can seal cracks in or between hive boxes with weeds, paper, plastic, etc. Push the seals in with your hive tool. You can also use propolis but it's sticky and can be hard to work with.

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #19 on:** June 24, 2016, 07:33:49 pm »

How long do ya leave the robber screen on, they're looking OK now