Author Topic: Every time I learn something from you ...... It happens to me!  (Read 3053 times)

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Offline J-grow

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My 3 hive have been normalish for the last week or so and were inspected yesterday. Added a super to the captured swarm hive and not much else.

 This morning all three hives are active and hanging out on their front porch with some fighting. It doesn't look out of control yet but on the hive that is possibly queen less there are about 5 bees walking around in circles on the ground and a couple on the porch fighting it out.

As I watched all of this I noticed bees grabbing other bees ( quite a few times ) and flying away with them?  Like double bees flying away?

So ........ Is this robbing or something else?

They should have plenty of natural food as I still see good forage opportunity everywhere for them ......

Put entrance reducers in a give it time?

What are your thoughts?  Thanks


Offline J-grow

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Re: Every time I learn something from you ...... It happens to me!
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2016, 07:59:29 am »
I just got a better look at what's going on.  I watched about 5 different bees get carried off through the air by another bee.  They are carrying them from the top looks like the are holding them by the base of the wings.  Kinda looks like when the space shuttle got transported on the 747's back

Offline Perry

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Re: Every time I learn something from you ...... It happens to me!
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2016, 05:31:57 pm »
Are they carrying out dead bees?
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Offline J-grow

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Re: Every time I learn something from you ...... It happens to me!
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2016, 06:59:11 pm »
I don't believe so but not sure on all of them ........ Some of them roll and fight while in the air and drop to the ground.  Things calmed down mid morning so I will check it out early tomorrow morning and see if it's a repeat. 

I'm thinking it is robbing attempts because there was definitely a lot of bees fighting on the front of the hive.  If it's looking like that in the morning I will put the reducer on I guess

Offline riverbee

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Re: Every time I learn something from you ...... It happens to me!
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2016, 12:57:22 am »
these are my thoughts...........robbing.... your entire hive will be engulfed with bees trying to get in, and getting in, and many bees fighting, and lots of dead bees on the landing board plus wax bits.  if it is a weaker hive, you will see the initial frenzy, and many bees coming and going, and again the wax bits left on the bottom board and signs of ragged chewing of capped frames on the inside.   sometimes when we think there is natural forage available, there is not.  the only way to determine is looking on the inside and not what is blooming on the outside.

with that said, i think what you are describing is bees will migrate to other hives, whether it be from your queenless hive, another hive, or other hives from other keeps that maybe nearby.  if the incoming bee does not have pollen or nectar when she is coming into the hive, she will get more than a cursory examination. (bees coming in with nectar and pollen are 'allowed' into the hive). without nectar/pollen or 'foreign' bee,  the bees will roll and fight, and she will not be allowed to enter, and she is carried off.  i think this is what you might be seeing?

if you are unsure, and you think robbing is occurring it does not hurt to put entrance reducers on.

helps if you can take a photo of what is going on,or better yet, if you go through the hives you will see ragged chewed cappings on the honey frames and bits of wax on the landing board. 
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Offline J-grow

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Re: Every time I learn something from you ...... It happens to me!
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2016, 07:33:22 am »
Ok thank you ........ I would like to figure out how to post the pictures as " they are worth a thousand words " I read a little bit of how to do it last night.

This morning things are looking normal again so maybe yesterday was just another interesting day in the world of bee's.


Ok so let's see if this works  ........... A photo of the swarm in my lychee tree a couple of weeks ago

Offline WantToBeeLady

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Re: Every time I learn something from you ...... It happens to me!
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2016, 09:57:55 pm »
Wow...this is some interesting information.  I guess I assumed robbing would happen in a different way. But fighting each other is something else.