Robbing

iddee · July 22, 2015, 10:47:56 PM

Here's how I make them. They work quite well, easy and cheap.

http://www.beekeepingforums.com/threads/5223-Robber-screen-moving-screen?highlight=robber+screen

biggraham610 · July 22, 2015, 10:49:59 PM

Quote from: Beewildered61 on July 22, 2015, 07:52:28 PM
no, didn't get to check it, going to today... thunderstorm came up soon as I got home yesterday.... Do ya'll make robber screens? can you buy them? I need more info on this, never heard of it....

Look at the link I gave you on post 12. simple to make. 8 scraps of wood and some porch screen. G

biggraham610 · July 22, 2015, 10:54:57 PM

I like that Idee. I might make a few of those for my established hives. The one I made just has a small entry on the side. I actually left the bottom like yours, so the full entrance to the hive is open for ventilation, but just have a 3/4"-1" notch on the side for them to come and go. Seems to be working great on the nucs

Hi-Tech · July 23, 2015, 01:41:11 PM

Since this thread is about robbing, I am going to ask a few questions about robbing if that is OK. At my last bee meeting, it was suggested that I put robber screens on my hives (and leave them all year) because the other beeks said robbing by wild bees is a big issue here. So I made some and installed them yesterday. Today I checked on them and took these pics.

> Are the bees piling up on the screen of the Italian hive probably robbers or my bees getting adjusted?
> Do these robber screens look good enough to work? If not, what changes should I make?
> should I leave them on all year?
> I want to move to all top entrances. What suggestions do you have for top entrances combined with robber screens?

Also, one of the beeks I talked to makes a robber screen with more turns (and leaves them on all year) (see pic). Does anyone else do something like this?

iddee · July 23, 2015, 03:40:05 PM

> Are the bees piling up on the screen of the Italian hive probably robbers or my bees getting adjusted?
Ask again in 3 days, and the answer will be robbers.

> Do these robber screens look good enough to work? If not, what changes should I make?
YES

> should I leave them on all year?
No reason too, no reason not to.

> I want to move to all top entrances. What suggestions do you have for top entrances combined with robber screens?
WHY?? Bottom entrances work fine. Don't fix what ain't broke

biggraham610 · July 23, 2015, 05:03:18 PM

I wish I had a picture of robbers piling up. They were 2" thick covering the whole screen on mine for a day or two. Now they look like your pic. I'm not taking mine off before winter. G

rookie2531 · July 23, 2015, 06:18:01 PM

It has rained here so much this season, that I couldn't tell you how many times I've been in them in the rain. I close them up if it gets too bad. I got totally drenched a couple times this year. You gotta do what you gotta do, in my boat, I was queen rearing and splitting a lot. And you can't wait for the weather to be on your side.

GSF · July 23, 2015, 10:20:37 PM

Another way to tell if its robbers; stand around in front of the hive. If you start getting hit more than usual then it's robbing,
funny but true.

Beewildered61 · July 26, 2015, 07:44:22 PM

It was gone...wax moth larva were getting started and some ants, nothing left in the hive

Thanks for the robber screen ideas...

rookie2531 · July 26, 2015, 08:04:11 PM

If you have room, bag up those frames in a garbage bag and put them in the freezer. It took a lot for the bees to make them and it would be a waste to just throw them out. After a couple days in the freezer, put them in a strong hive. They will clean them out and use them.

biggraham610 · July 27, 2015, 12:46:33 AM

Quote from: rookie2531 on July 26, 2015, 08:04:11 PM
If you have room, bag up those frames in a garbage bag and put them in the freezer. It took a lot for the bees to make them and it would be a waste to just throw them out. After a couple days in the freezer, put them in a strong hive. They will clean them out and use them.

X2. Good Luck. G

Beewildered61 · July 27, 2015, 09:36:57 PM

Looking at the photos of the robber screens, it appears there was an entrance reducer used and the robber screen over that?

I was looking at my smaller new hive this evening and they seemed too active for it to be 8:30... watching them a few minutes, I saw a lot of bees coming in from the field, and then a couple of times, it seemed a rush of bees coming out of the entrance but not going any where...Then I saw 4 or 5 bees in a group wrestling and they pushed a bee or two off the porch..then I saw another two or three bees wrestling, pushing another bee away from the entrance. But there wasn't any flying around like they were looking for an entrance... I put a reducer on this hive a week ago when I found out what happened to the other, so they only have about an inch and a half or two inch entrance.

biggraham610 · July 28, 2015, 07:27:59 PM

Once they overwhelm the guards, its too late. buy one or build one, or reduce to one bee width would be my recommendation. Once one breaks the ranks, they wont give up. G

rookie2531 · July 29, 2015, 10:09:45 PM

Agree with Graham, after losing some weak mating nucs this year and seeing the frenzy start. It didn't matter how strong the others were. The robbers were relentless and tried every hive. I had to reduce all hives and stop feeding, put robber screens on all mating nucs, but still lost some.

You should inspect it and make sure your queen is in there and if so, reduce it down to only one bee size. I have heard and read so many people afraid to make it too small, mainly because they don't want to overheat the hive. I would worry more about robbers. They know how to keep from overheating.