Robbing

policecentral · March 12, 2009, 12:54:54 PM

Am new to this site. Have two nucs started two weeks ago. I am feeding and hives are active. Physically about 10 ft. apart. I noticed last two days, there is some fighting at one entrance, and a few dying bees in front of that hive. Maybe a half-dozen bees in their final throes. Don't know if troublemakers are from my other hive or if they are foreigners. Plan on restricting entrance to the hive with the fighting. Any other suggestions? Thanks,

Policecentral
Dunwoody, GA (Atlanta)

Bee-Bop · March 12, 2009, 01:17:35 PM

I would put up a robbing screen in front of the hive entrance.

Bee-Bop

BjornBee · March 12, 2009, 01:18:48 PM

How are you feeding, and what are you feeding?

Michael Bush · March 12, 2009, 07:28:47 PM

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

rast · March 12, 2009, 09:10:23 PM

Along with the above questions and reading MB's site. The first thing is to get the entrance's restricted way down. If they are five frame nucs, my experiance has been 1" wide by 1/2" height opening is enough. Mine could defend that. I have used 1/8" hardware cloth also to divert them to the side as a sort of robbing screen as Bee-Bopp said. Nothing elaborate, just make em go in and out sideways. I have also put a water sprinkler on the front of the hive being robbed before. The robbers were right back the next day.

doak · March 12, 2009, 09:17:50 PM

Are you feeding with an outside feeder?
If so, you can use the board man feeder inside.
Just take an extra box," if you have one" with it empty, take your top cover off, place the feeder on top of the frames, put the empty box on, replace top cover.
:)doak

TwT · March 12, 2009, 09:26:47 PM

just waiting on answers from above questions??

tillie · March 13, 2009, 12:19:19 AM

Policecentral, if you are in Dunwoody, I hope you'll join the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers - we meet the second Wednesday of the month at the Botanical Garden.

Also one of our best beekeepers, Jim Ovbey, is running a couple of hives at the Dunwoody Nature Center that will be used as teaching tools for hive inspections - you can come to one if you are a member of Metro or if you attended our short course.

I had robbing today too - must be something in the air in Hotlanta!

Linda T

policecentral · March 13, 2009, 11:02:36 AM

Sorry if this is a duplicate post, but I replied once but may not have taken.

Yes I am feeding 1:1 sugar with outside Boardman, and this is the only hive entrance restriction thus far. Will further restrict this weekend. I am really not too concerned about the robbing level at this point, and I suspect that bees are foreigners because they seem to be somewhat lighter complexion. My hives seem contented, feeding well (about 1qt per day) and not aggressive.

If they are foreigners, maybe I can snatch a swarm from them this spring.

Yes I am in Dunwoody, GA, about 3 blocks from back entrance to Dunwoody Nature Center.

Thanks for all of your comments

Policecentral