Help. Major robbing in progress.

[L Daxon]

Could it be that you have a Feral hive somewhere and they are the Robbers and not either of your Own
doing the Dirty

Tom
[/quote]

You know I noticed today a lot of bees I didn't recognize around the dummy hive.  The lower half of their abdomen was solid black, not striped like most of mine.  And they seemed a tiny bit bigger (more on the longer, narrower side).  Maybe there is a feral hive around here that was doing a lot of the robbing. 

How does anybody keep a weak hive around stronger ones without the weak one getting beat up on all the time?  Or does this have more to do with the time of the year?

[Kathyp]

this is the time of year for robbing.  one way to strengthen a weak hive is to swap it's place with a stronger one.  this helps boost numbers with returning workers.  once the robbing gets started, it's hard to stop.  you can close the hive for 24 hours, or move the hive.  if the hive is reasonably strong, reducing the entrance so that they only have to defend a very small entrance will usually do the trick.

[vmmartin]

Idaxon. How did the robbing turn out yesterday/today? I had the same thing going on and implemented a few of the ideas mentioned and today everything seems to be back to normal. (Whatever that means)

[deknow]

do what ray said....but don't do what you did (put a baggie feeder in the weak hive).

the feed will only attract robbers.  if there aren't enough resources or forage to simply rob (preferably capped) honey from the strong hive to feed the weak one, then rob the strong hive and feed the strong hive...it will take and store the feed faster, and it is less likely to be robbed out.

also, robbing (or defending) bees often have some of the hairs on their bodies rubbed off...most of the coloring is in the hairs, and such bees often have the tip of their abdomen solid black....from rubbing, not from being different bees.

deknow

[L Daxon]

One week update:

I got in the weak hive for the first time in a week this morning and the good news is I still have a queen and she seems to be laying fine.  Had  2 frames of capped brood and saw all stages of reproduction.

I was not so happy with how little stores they have.  But I checked my strong hive and they seem to be packing it in so I will just rob a couple of frames from them when its time to shut them both down.  High temps are still supposed to be in the low 80s the next few days but I see the lows are going to start sinking into the high 40s.  We are having an unusually warm October but that can change on a dime this time of year.  I am figuring I just have one good inspection left, maybe in a week or so and then I will call it quits for the season.

[Tommyt]

One week update:

I got in the weak hive for the first time in a week this morning and the good news is I still have a queen and she seems to be laying fine.  Had  2 frames of capped brood and saw all stages of reproduction.

I was not so happy with how little stores they have.  But I checked my strong hive and they seem to be packing it in so I will just rob a couple of frames from them when its time to shut them both down.  High temps are still supposed to be in the low 80s the next few days but I see the lows are going to start sinking into the high 40s.  We are having an unusually warm October but that can change on a dime this time of year.  I am figuring I just have one good inspection left, maybe in a week or so and then I will call it quits for the season.

I will just rob a couple of frames from them

Good they deserve it  :-x


:-D