How to stop robbing

[nella]

I have a weak swarm that I want to save and am trying to feed inside the hive in an empty super. I have reduced the entrance to 1/2in, tried a robber screen, closed the hive for 3 days, moved the hive 100yds, but every time I fill the feeder the robbing starts. Any suggestions!
    Thanks, Nella

[BeeMaster2]

Try using dry sugar, the  sugar that you use in coffee. If you have a solid bottom board pour it on the board.
Jim

[Bee-Bop]

This is a robber screen, not some wire jammed in the hive opening !!



Bee-Bop

[JP]

Moving the hive a hundred yards won't do anything. You need to seal them in the dark and move them to another location entirely, a 1/2 a mile or more away. I would also check to make sure you have a queen in that hive at the new location.


...JP

[nella]

This is a robber screen, not some wire jammed in the hive opening !!



Bee-Bop

I do have a good robber screen.

Moving the hive a hundred yards won't do anything. You need to seal them in the dark and move them to another location entirely, a 1/2 a mile or more away. I would also check to make sure you have a queen in that hive at the new location.


...JP

The hive is queenright, there is a little brood in the hive and they are building a supersedure queen cell with a larve in it.

[JP]

So you've checked the hive recently and they have a queen albeit supersedure cells?

The robbing issue is at rest?

That would be great news!


...JP

[nella]

I checked the hive Sat.(20th) and found thease conditions.

[FRAMEshift]

every time I fill the feeder the robbing starts. Any suggestions!
 

There's your answer on how to stop the robbing.  Stop feeding that hive.   Feed strong hives and then move capped stores into the weak hive.  That won't start robbing the way open sugar syrup does.

[BlueBee]

I agree with Frameshift; syrup is a dinner bell to robbers.

When I make splits into nucs, the robbers almost always find them and rob away until the nucs are queen right and defending their new home.  The robbing occurs even though I don't feed the nucs any syrup.  The robbers know where the easy pickings are.

What I do is reduce the entrance down to a single bee width (9mm x 9mm) and of course include a frame or two of capped/uncapped honey inside the nuc .  Robbers will still get through a single bee width entrance, but that slows them way down; it takes days or weeks to rob a significant amount of nuc stores through such a small door.  That gives the nucs time to get queen right and defend themselves.

I usually give the nucs a wet sponge for water since the robbers and small entrance is going to restrict their ability to get water from outside.  My nucs have a screen inner cover so I can have more control of ventilation and keep them from cooking to death.  Sponge goes on top of screen inner cover for the water.

When I see that the robbing has let up, I start gradually opening the entrance in accordance to the number of bees in the nucs.  

[Kathyp]

other thing is that syrup will attract things like yellowjackets.  even a queen-right hive can be wiped out by those.  FRAME has the right answer for you, i think.  take honey frames from strong hives and feed all later to top them off if you need to.

[FRAMEshift]

What I do is reduce the entrance down to a single bee width (9mm x 9mm) and of course include a frame or two of capped/uncapped honey inside the nuc .  

Yep.  Capped is best.

I usually give the nucs a wet sponge for water since the robbers and small entrance is going to restrict their ability to get water from outside.

I just pour some water into a frame of drawn comb so they have all they want.

When I see that the robbing has let up, I start gradually opening the entrance in accordance to the number of bees in the nucs.  

Exactly.

[CapnChkn]

I've had good luck with Robber Screens.  When I set up a nuc or new hive, I put one on.  It allows me to have the smallest entrance with all the air flow I can put in there.  If I have the robbing in progress, I reduce the screen to the smallest.  My design is to have the full bottom and top open.  I can block the outside entrance with a piece of wood and an hole cut in it.

When I reduce the entrances to one bee width, I discover they'll start chewing the inside of the hive body when they start getting antsy.  When you come by the hive and it sounds as if they're cooking bacon for breakfast, they want more egress.

I can't really say what makes them do it; ventilation, number of bees, temperature are all different.  Once they chewed the paint off around the entrance.

[BlueBee]

I agree with CapnChkn that an entrances reduced down to a single bee width can result in chewing inside the hive.  Bees don't like to feel trapped.  In previous foam designs, I've had them chew right through my foam walls to get out :evil:

Despite the chewing concern, I still go with a reduced entrance strategy when I have robbing going on.  I've had success with the robber screens, but what has always worried me about the robber screens is losing a virgin queen if she can't figure out how to navigate around the robber screen.  There is also a little labor to build the screens.

Ventilation is valid concern if you reduce the entrance down to a single bee width.  My solution for that problem is the use of screened inner covers on my nucs.  With those I can have complete control over how much heat I want to keep in the box, or let out.  Heat rises and top vents are going to be more effective when trying to control how much heat to hold in a nuc or how much to let escape. 

Both reduced entrances and robber screens do work, but prevention is the best policy!

[Michael Bush]

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