Unusual sugar water consumption

Peanut · May 22, 2016, 07:27:29 PM

I got 5 hives of package bees 14Apr.

I?ve been keeping an eye on my problem hive. The hive had laying workers, I re-queened, so far so good. Thursday and Friday the hive consumed 1 quart of sugar water. I filled it yesterday morning. Late yesterday I noticed it was empty, I filled it again. It was empty this morning, I refilled and again at noon.

They have consumed 2.5 quarts in the last 24 hours. They seem to be agitated at the hive entrance. I?m using a reducer. There were a dozen dead bees on the ground in front of the hive.

Activity at my other 4 hives is normal, along with normal sugar water consumption.

I decided this hive might be getting robbed by a wild hive. I removed the jar and put an empty lid in its place. If there is nothing to rob maybe things will calm down. I?m just unsure of what is happening. Ideas?

sc-bee · May 22, 2016, 08:13:34 PM

Broadman feeder or hive top?

Peanut · May 22, 2016, 08:35:57 PM

A little broadman entrance feeder.

Update, it?s been an hour now, the activity at the entrance has slowed dramatically from the chaos. I can now see that living bees are being dragged from the hive. Every bee returning to the hive is immediately challenged by several bees.

I opened the hive for a peek, activity on the frames seemed normal. I closed it right back up.

Psparr · May 22, 2016, 08:44:19 PM

They were being robbed. Take the jar and make a top feeder out of it and enclose it in a hive body.

cao · May 22, 2016, 10:41:36 PM

+1 on what Psparr said.

FlexMedia.tv · May 23, 2016, 12:11:34 AM

If you find an example of how to do that, let me know. I think I might want to change my outside feeders

cao · May 23, 2016, 01:12:25 AM

You take a jar, poke with a nail or drill a few small holes in the lid, and put it over the hole in your inner cover. You can use the jar from your boardman feeder. Put on an empty super to cover the jar. Top it off with top cover. A google search for 'mason jar top feeder bees' will show several variations of it.

GSF · May 23, 2016, 08:20:56 AM

I use my drill and a piece that can be adjusted for cutting a hole any size you want. I put a hole in all of my inner covers and feed them through it. I have several broadman entrance feeders.., somewhere.

FlexMedia.tv · May 23, 2016, 10:19:41 AM

I can do that. I have an extra super I can use. My entrance feeders were empty after 3 days. If it happens by the end of the week I'm switching

GSF · May 23, 2016, 03:49:11 PM

You may want to give them a day or two so the robbers will think it's gone. Be sure to reduce the entrance.

Dallasbeek · May 23, 2016, 07:57:58 PM

We all have at least one Boardman feeder .....somewhere.

sc-bee · May 23, 2016, 08:28:22 PM

Quote from: sc-bee on May 22, 2016, 08:13:34 PM
Broadman feeder or hive top?

That is why I asked.... in a pinch you can place the jar directly on top of the frames without an inner cover. Put a couple slats under the lid and balance the jar on top and add the top super and cover. I don't have inner covers... I just make cheap hive top feeders with a piece of ply and the correct size hole saw. I imagine you could set the broadman directly on top of the frames without an inner cover and put a super around it also. I like the jar top feeder because you can see the level and don't have to access any area with bees.

KeyLargoBees · May 23, 2016, 11:53:20 PM

DB.... I read the horror stories and I personally never bought one so not all of US have one LOL

GSF · May 24, 2016, 08:53:14 AM

Key, if you're ever in the market..,

KeyLargoBees · May 24, 2016, 09:17:04 AM

LOL....no.... I have only experienced robbing once and that was triggered by me setting out some old comb from a cutout that I had crushed and strained along with honey coated buckets and tools for them to clean up maybe 30 feet from the hives in the back yard.....boy was that a mistake in our one little "dearth" we have in august..the bees went berserk and when they sucked everything dry they went after each others hives and I had to take drastic measures to calm them down.

Peanut · May 27, 2016, 04:01:47 PM

My robbing problem did not stop with a top feeder but got worse, my other hives joined in. I started feeding at night only and blocking the hive entrance all night and until about 2 hours after sun rise. Then removing the sugar water.

This is my weak hive that I had to requeen that was being raided. Early this morning I called my egg lady, young couple that lives 4 miles away. They have been talking about getting bees since last year and were excited to come up and see my hives on day 4 when I checked for queen release.

Anyway, I moved my weak hive to their farm this morning. That will stop the robbing. Maybe the weak hive will have a chance to grow some numbers now with out having to fight robbers.

It is a good location, 3 acres of cleared land that got invaded by showy partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasiculata). It is just beginning to bloom and will do so for a month.