A few days ago I did give inspections and both of my stronger hives were ready for honey supers. I added the supers and all seemed fine. Yesterday bees were everywhere, circling the entrances and lots of bees were flying around my garden and house. Today I suited up and went down to the hives and man they are pissy. Looks like fighting going on and some dead bees in front of the hives. I also have a laying worker hive that has very few bees in it and for the last few weeks, I have not seen a lot of activity from that hive. The entrance to the LW hive is now very busy. Any help would be appreciated. What is going on with the bees?
Almost sounds like the girls have started going to the one hive. Is there a queen in the weak hive? if there is you might be able to take a frame of caped brood with its workers and put it in the weaker hive but make sure you do not move the queen over.
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f224/jpmako/Mobile%20Uploads/CB4BEE67-44E1-418B-BB85-ADF639FEBEF2.jpg)
If the laying worker hive had few bees but had honey and nectar stores, It sounds like a robbing situation. Is there a flow on or are you in a dearth. If you put your location in your profile it would be helpful in answering your questions.
Quote from: cao on July 21, 2015, 04:34:30 PM
If the laying worker hive had few bees but had honey and nectar stores, It sounds like a robbing situation. Is there a flow on or are you in a dearth. If you put your location in your profile it would be helpful in answering your questions.
As far as I can tell, this is exactly what happened. I closed up the LW hive last night and took it a couple hundred yards away this morning to "shake them out". There were only about 40 bees in the hive and all of the honey was gone. They also chewed a ton of the wax which I have read is a good indication of robbing. Oh well, it's done and now I only have two hives :(