Help, I'm being robbed

phill · September 02, 2013, 03:42:36 PM

It's not guesswork when I report there are 2 full deeps.

You're proposing an autopsy before the patient is dead.

sc-bee · September 02, 2013, 03:47:24 PM

If you are still seeing fighting outside the hive I would think it stillhas some origianl occupants. But I am not sure weather robbers from different sources would fight each other.

I am probably about to jinx myself but robbing is something i have not had to experience yet.

T Beek · September 02, 2013, 06:32:40 PM

Quote from: phill on September 02, 2013, 03:42:36 PM
It's not guesswork when I report there are 2 full deeps.

You're proposing an autopsy before the patient is dead.

How do you know anything about what is going on inside that hive without looking? You don't.

When did you last see 2 full deeps of bees? How many frames of brood and honey were there?

I proposed an inspection on a colony 'best described by your posts' as being robbed out, (dead, done and empty of any resemblance of its former self).

You have described "robbing that has gone on for over a week" on one hive of bees. My bet remains placed that they are all dead and gone, but unless 'someone' actually looks we'll never know for certain, will we.

Sorry, but looking is part of keeping bees. No room for guesswork or assumptions. Doing so is at at your bees peril and wastes time best spent investigating.

Robbers can include more than just other honeybees, the list include, hornets (yellowjackest), wasps and other bees like bumbles,,,,oh,,,and beekeepers :-D.

phill · September 02, 2013, 06:34:56 PM

T Beek, I have been looking. That's why I reported-- several times-- 2 full deeps remaining. You aren't required to believe me. And I'm not required to follow your advice. Let's leave it at that, OK?

T Beek · September 02, 2013, 06:36:47 PM

:roll:

buzzbee · September 02, 2013, 07:29:44 PM

Mind your manners gentleman. :-X

TenshiB · September 03, 2013, 12:24:00 AM

Phill, the only solution I can see for now would be to re-locate your hive to a friend's property. Close them up at night and move them very early in the morning (preferably 2 miles away at the least). Consider it a vacation for your bees. You'll need a truck, some straps, and a friend to help you move 'em... I like the one guy's idea of setting up a dummy hive (if you have any spare hardware) in the location of your current hive--this is if you move them.

Again, relocating that hive seems like the best option at this point. And relocating far away will keep your bees from seeing familiar landmarks and becoming confused. I relocated two of my hives this year to some soy fields on a friend's property and the bees are doing great!

Tumjaiyu · September 03, 2013, 01:02:51 AM

Thanks

TenshiB · September 03, 2013, 01:14:29 AM

Same person or are you being robbed, too??

phill · September 03, 2013, 09:34:41 AM

Thanks, TenshiB. That's not something I'm anxious to do, but it may be my only choice.

(BTW the other "Thanks" was not from me. Someone else with a similar problem, I guess.)

During the last week, since I've been taking defensive measures, the robbers have not been getting into my hive-- at least not enough of them to cause major problems. But there's been a real dearth here, and apparently they have nothing else to try. If we start to get even a little bit of a flow, this problem should go away-- for now. I'll hope for that, but meanwhile I'll be looking for a "vacation rental" for the hive.

phill · September 06, 2013, 06:46:14 PM

A happy ending, in case anyone's still paying attention to this thread: The robbing stopped. My hive still looks fairly strong. I don't think the robbers actually accomplished much. But they sure did try.

GSF · September 06, 2013, 09:57:23 PM

Good to hear Phill. As a new beek I still get worried any time I see a bunch of bees flying around the front of my hive. From what I can tell it's always been my bees.

TenshiB · September 07, 2013, 12:29:16 AM

Very glad to hear that!

GSF: Sometimes what you are seeing, assuming that it's not robbing behavior, is orientation flights. [=

T Beek · September 07, 2013, 06:32:08 AM

Excellent! I'd like to see some pics of the colony that survived a week of robbing.

GSF · September 07, 2013, 09:52:00 PM

TenshiB

I'm pretty sure it's been orientation flights but still, I need a whole lot more BeeTV before I'll feel comfortable about it.

It was the same way when I was learning to ID sicknesses, diseases, and other things with my goats several years ago. It seem like anything you see can be tied into two or three possibilities. Time will cure that I'm sure.

TenshiB · September 08, 2013, 11:28:13 AM

TBeek must've read OVER the bits where stated your efforts to thwart the robbing behavior and assumed that you were simply hands-off and happy-go lucky about the robbing. :roll:

I must, however, congratulate you on your success of thwarting the robbery. [=

T Beek · September 09, 2013, 08:06:25 AM

Have the dead been counted yet? Has an actual inspection taken place? How many frames of bees does this colony have now? How much Honey after a week of robbing?

Those are all questions remaining and that haven't been answered by the 'only' one who knows.

Waiting.............................. :-D We've been on this road before.................... ;)