Robbing situation - need advice

tillie · July 12, 2008, 03:54:20 PM

I stopped at home in the middle of my 8 mile walk today and looked at the hives - there was clearly something terrible going on at one of my hives. The hive was my first swarm. It has not built up well, but has had a laying queen as recently as two weeks ago. They have not moved out of the first box.

I started feeding them - they are an aggressive hive, so I put a Boardman feeder on (mistake, I know) because I didn't want to get attacked whenever I wanted to change out a baggie feeder. I think this was the draw for robbing to begin.

I put a robber screen on at 11:00 and completely closed even the top entry. There is still a one bee sized entry on one upper corner of the robber screen.

What more should I do? The robber (I guess) bees are clustered all over the outside of the hive (pictures linked below) and they don't appear to be leaving. I also saw a bee inside the screen trying to get out with a pupae. Pictures here.

Linda T in Atlanta with robbing going on

Bee-Bop · July 12, 2008, 05:16:02 PM

Another old-timer idea thing you may try;

Pull your topcover & inner-cover off the robbers hive !

This disrupts their robber ideas, they have to stay home to protect that wide open space, rash but worth a try !!

Bee-Bop

randydrivesabus · July 12, 2008, 05:44:37 PM

i seem to remember reading somewhere that if you spray water on the hive being robbed it will stop the robbing frenzy. a light spray i would think.

JP · July 12, 2008, 08:02:31 PM

Quote from: randydrivesabus on July 12, 2008, 05:44:37 PM
i seem to remember reading somewhere that if you spray water on the hive being robbed it will stop the robbing frenzy. a light spray i would think.

I think you mean the hive that's doing the robbing gets sprayed down, you could also close their entrance off tonite as long as they have ventilation to keep the hive that was being robbed safe, and I would do an interior inspection tomorrow of the robbed out hive, to check their status.

...JP

randydrivesabus · July 12, 2008, 08:25:32 PM

thanks JP....i wish my memory gave me complete info but i reckon partial is better than none.

tillie · July 12, 2008, 09:42:53 PM

I put a robber screen on this morning when I realized that was what was happening. During the day, a cluster of bees gathered - as large as a swarm - on the side of the hive. This hive also had the top propped so when I put the robber screen on, I took the propping stick out of the top as well. I'm guessing these were foragers who came back and couldn't get in - they were acting like a hive - not would-be robbers.

It's getting dark, so I just opened the top and propped it with a stick to see if the cluster will go back in the hive. After dark, I'll close the propped top again and leave the upper edge of the robber screen as the only entry.

I'll do an inspection tomorrow and see what gives. I'd been thinking about combining this hive with another weak swarm hive and maybe now is the time.

Linda T in Atlanta sweating the robbers all day long

purvisgs · July 13, 2008, 04:19:23 AM

try switching locations of the hive being robbed and another (stronger) hive. I have had consistently good results w/ this. keep the entrance reducers on, but if there is as large a cluster as you describe, maybe the entrance could be a bit larger (keep it in the same place as usual if at all possible)

tillie · July 13, 2008, 08:45:31 AM

I assume you mean to build up the weak, robbed hive that I should switch positions so that the hive builds up by bees from the strong hive returning to the weak hive instead of their own. I think that's a good idea but I feel a little cautious about doing anything until I see what the lay of the land is today.

I was going to combine it with another smaller swarm-started hive that I have but after reading (just by chance) this morning the chapter in The Queen Must Die about newspaper combines, I now feel doubtful about the success of that as well. However, MB on his site advocates combining weak hives via newspaper after robbing, and he's my beekeeping hero.

What a mess!

Linda T in Atlanta

Robo · July 13, 2008, 09:54:12 AM

Quote from: tillie on July 12, 2008, 03:54:20 PM

because I didn't want to get attacked whenever I wanted to change out a baggie feeder.

Inverted jar on the inner cover is easy to change without too much commotion and doesn't promote robbing like a boardman.

I would move it to a new location or switch with another hive as purvisgs suggested. If the robbing is a fierce frenzy, they can clean out a hive in a few days, so I wouldn't wait too long experimenting.

rob...

tillie · July 13, 2008, 11:43:08 AM

It's raining right now so nothing is happening. If the sun comes out later, I can switch it with another hive or do a combo with newspaper. For all I know the queen is dead. There is a 3 inch deep pile of dead bees at the inner corner of the robber screen.

Linda T