How do you spot robber bees?

[SlickMick]

With all the activity happening at the hive entrance, just how do you spot the robber bees :?

[iddee]

This may give you a hint. It's not a pretty site.

[TimLa]

They're the ones with masks and guns.  :-)  Sorry, couldn't resist...

I haven't had this happen, but I'd expect a reaction from the hive residents...

I've read somewhere that there is a modification to the entrance that helps with this problem.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesrobbing.htm

[SlickMick]

Those pics are amazing guys. I'm quite glad that I have not seen anything like that. Your post is really helpful Michael.

I had seen a utube video this morning where it was mentioned that there were a few robber bees at the entrance.. it was nowhere as congested as your pics Iddee.. just a few hundred coming and going at the same time but I was danged if I could tell the robbers

Mick

[Brian D. Bray]

Check out the video at this posting:

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,20957.0.html

It gives a good example of how it starts.  Look for the bees crossing the entrance rapidly from the top side of the frame towards the bottom side of the frame.  You'll see some bees get caught trying to sneak in and others that sneak past the guard bees.  The robber bees are obviously unladen as they move 2-3 times as fast as the laden returning foragers.

[Patrick]

I get robbers every year and when I put a screen on the next day with the screen on it looks like that picture, otherwise it is not much different. So thats one way to tell.
Cheers,
Patrick