Pictures of my hive and queen castle It looks like my larger hive is getting robbed. what are your thoughts?
(http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x424/ronwhite3030/IMG_0769.jpg)
(http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x424/ronwhite3030/IMG_0770.jpg)
(http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x424/ronwhite3030/IMG_0768.jpg)
(http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x424/ronwhite3030/IMG_0771.jpg)
this is not robbing. actually unless it was cold when you took these pics there is not much activity
I get suspicous whenever I see bees trying to get in through cracks and under tops. Other than that your pictures don't show the volume of bees (100's) you see in most robbing situations. This is the time of year for robbing.
Many times when bees appear to be trying to get under tops and through cracks,they may be trying to proplize those holes to keep weather out.
Yes BuzzBee noticed my bees loitering around a super that wasn't the most tight fitting due to age. Later seen bees had plugged up gaps w/ propolis.
I temporarily get orientation flight bees mixed up w/ robbers but seems robbers are more frantic & nervous & also tell tale numerous dead bees under hives can speak to the robbing situation at hand. Sometimes moving a hive to an apiary w/ less hive density will keep robbing under control, but also some hives aren't that fit to survive when survival of the fittest during times of dearth are in full swing. That's natures way.
thanks for the reply's, yes them flying through the cracks on the top and landing on the face is what got me suspicious too