Anti-robbing screens

[slaphead]

Decided to look these up after they had been mentioned several times.  Most posters seem to recommend the hidden entrance be designed to come in from the side while the Brushy Mountain design appears to have it come in from above.  Does it matter?

It also looks like these are fully screened at the front and partially screened at the back on the side with the hidden entrance.  Why is that?

Thanks,

SH

[Bee-Bop]

Mine are home made, 6-8 in. tall screened on the front, bees go over the top.

I put them on in the evening so the bees leaving the hive have to climb out !
Robbers are following the scent of the honey, which is issuing out of the bottom front of the hive,thru the lower part of the screen, they don't search for a way in.
The hive bees are a little confused at first but soon reorientates to go over the top of the screen.

Bee-Bop

[Michael Bush]

The point is to have the entrance somewhere other than the smell of the hive.  Above or on the side doesn't matter that much.

[slaphead]

Cool, thanks.

Think I'll try to put one together tomorrow.

SH

[heaflaw]

So, when do you guys use them?

[Bee-Bop]

Most likely when bees are robbing !!

Bee-Bop

[ski]

Bees would normally not rob during a nectar flow.
But after a flow if things dry up and there is nothing for the bees to bring in would be a time to keep an eye on the entrance for fighting which could mean robbing.  Always good to have robber screens on hand.
Ski

[slaphead]

Lots of colonies of Italian bees in my area.  During last summers dearth robbing was a real problem.

SH

[HAB]

We use the "Moving and Robbing Screens" from Brushy Mountain.  Leave them on year round so that at the first sign of trouble we can just flip the little doors down to reduce the opening.  They worked really well for us.