Bee Ninjas

[Hi-Tech]

I installed 2 new 3 lb packages of Italian ladies today. One in a standard hive and one in a top bar hive. photos - http://hh-farms.com/photos/bees/051306 . The two new hives were placed in a row with my one existing hive.

So, I have 3 hives in a row, facing the same direction, spaced about 8 feet apart. After about an hour after the packages were installed I came back to check on them and saw several mini bee ninja battles going on at my old hive #1. There were probably 8 or 10 different pairs of bees wrestling on the ground. It was horrifying and awesome at the same time. I assume that these were bees of the new packages trying to get into the old hive. Did I screw something up? I waited until late afternoon to intall the new bees. What should I do now?

[Brian D. Bray]

It may be that the newbees were attempting to rob the 1st hive but if you provided syrup for the packaged bees my guess is that what you saw was the result of bee drift.  The new bees going to forage and ending up at the wrong door.  Housing track where all the houses look the same.
Use something like a 2x4 or even a garbage can to distinguish the individual hives from each other and the problem should be cured.
Check out some of my other postings and you will find the method I use.  Feeding at the time of introducing the bees to the hive is a must in my book.