We Was Robbed!

[FatherMichael]

Saw some bees going in and out of one of my swarm traps.  Thought they might be scouts.

Nope.

All the starter strips were chewed out!  LOL

[Hethen57]

Wow... I didn't know they would get that desperate.  In fact, I didn't know they could really even re-use the stuff. 

[CoolBees]

Nah - they's just preppin' for the big move-in day. 

[FloridaGardener]

Put your robbing screens on asap.

[FatherMichael]

Put your robbing screens on asap.

On a swarm trap?

[FloridaGardener]

No, on all your hives.  Robbers are now heckling my hives, and are at other local beekeepers' hives too. 

Scouts also look for robbing opportunities in a dearth between foraging flows. 

[Ben Framed]

No, on all your hives.  Robbers are now heckling my hives, and are at other local beekeepers' hives too. 

Scouts also look for robbing opportunities in a dearth between foraging flows.

Same in my area, as I noticed in my own yard just late yesterday. I have in a particular area 5 nuc box splits. The 30 day  look and see will be Aug 5., HOWEVER, just late yesterday, I noticed bees coming form one of the splits, going into one of the other splits and returning in the same manor. I, not wanting to, but seeing the necessity of it, removed the cover and top feeder and had a look inside. The new queen was indeed home. I saw what I needed to see, I had prepared for this, hoping I would indeed see the queen upon EARLY emergency inspection. I replaced all parts. Upon dusk, I screened in the entrance, stapled the top and bottom with T40 staples and moved this nuc early this morning to my other yard which is 4-5 miles away.

[Ben Framed]

Now, my post number 6 brings up another question.  Does placing robbing screens on each split as I did not train the bees to search for like openings on other hives? These robbers defiantly had no trouble finding the hole on my robber screen build on iddees design. And a good design at that, may I add. In my opinion. 

[BeeMaster2]

Ben,
I doubt it. They go by smell mostly when checking out other hives.
Jim Altmiller

[Ben Framed]

Now, my post number 6 brings up another question.  Does placing robbing screens on each split as I did not train the bees to search for like openings on other hives? These robbers defiantly had no trouble finding the hole on my robber screen build on iddees design. And a good design at that, may I add. In my opinion. 

Ben,
I doubt it. They go by smell mostly when checking out other hives.
Jim Altmiller

Thanks Jim, since the robber screen was completely across the opening, where the smell of the hive is coming from, and the robber bees had no trouble finding the entrance hole on the robber screen, which is away from the hive opening, I wondered if perhaps bees may be more complex, maybe  more multi-dimensional. Adding to that question, the robber bees have the same type robber screen in its same location as the bees they were robbing.  They were on the same row of 4x4 stand.  I trust your answer as being correct as you have studied these little creatures far longer than I. Thanks for your answer.   
Phillip

[Troutdog]

Is it possible robbing occurs when pheromone and assorted unknown emanating odors indicate a weakness in that hive.robber bees know that hive is doomed and accelerate the process.

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