Robbing screens question

[CoolBees]

Your advice is needed. I was in a hurry. Did I do it right(ish)?
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Soon after I put the screen on, they started robbing the nuc below. So I added a 2nd screen.

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[CoolBees]

More pics ...

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[CoolBees]

Here's the backstory: I've lost 9 out of 10 nuc split attempts this year. Finally built some Altmiller screens. This is H10 being split 4 ways on 6-30-19. As of 7-8-19 inspection, 3 splits had multiple QC's, and the queen is in the 3rd split up (entrance for the queenright nuc & bottom nuc not shown as entrances are facing opposite direction).

Walked out this morning and observed robbing going full steam. In the sun's morning light, I could track the bees coming out of H3 in a steady stream heading straight to me at H10. Grabbed the Air Stapler and some window screen and went to work. Not a fancy job, but hopefully it fixes the problem.

Any thoughts or comments you have are welcome ... hopefully I got it right.

[CoolBees]

Also note: H5 is shown to the left - 2 boxes sitting directly beside H10. H5 has had robbing going on for some time (3 weeks or so). I downsized H5 (previously) from 5 boxes down to 2 - redistributed stores to other hives, and reduced it's entrance to create a high density of bees while H5 recovers from high mite counts and treatments. Bees are still trying to rob H5, but 30 plus guards are keeping the situation stable there .... so the robbers have turned on H10 now.

[BeeMaster2]

Alan,
The idea of robbing screens is to put the screen in front of the entrance so that the smell of the hive draws the robbers to the screen and the occupants have to find their way out on the side or top. When they leave, they know how they got out and find their way back in.
It looks good as long as there is a way out. The bees in the field when you place it will bee confused but will eventually figure it out.
Jim Altmiller

[CoolBees]

Alan,
The idea of robbing screens is to put the screen in front of the entrance so that the smell of the hive draws the robbers to the screen and the occupants have to find their way out on the side or top. When they leave, they know how they got out and find their way back in.
It looks good as long as there is a way out. The bees in the field when you place it will bee confused but will eventually figure it out.
Jim Altmiller

Thanks Jim. I'm slowly figuring all this out. 

Thats what I did - the entrance for these screens is at the bottom. Not sure if you can see it in the pics. Initially I wanted the entrance at the top - but the screen layed in better entrance down - and I was in a hurry ... I REALLY want these queens to survive!

[ed/La.]

I make robbing screens much smaller.

[iddee]

Check this one out. It's cheap, easy, and effective.

https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php/topic,1420.msg44188/topicseen.html#msg44188

[Ben Framed]

Check this one out. It's cheap, easy, and effective.

https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php/topic,1420.msg44188/topicseen.html#msg44188

iddee, do you have a picture to go along with that description?

[Ben Framed]

Quoting Alan
''I've lost 9 out of 10 nuc split attempts this year.''

Sorry for your results Alan. For educational purposes, Would you mind starting a new topic? Perhaps will you tell us more about how you made you splits, what size boxes you used. Mated queen, queen cells, virgins, frames with eggs? Did you feed? How many frames of brood, eggs, honey, etc.  May save some of newer folks some grief if you can elaborate, by giving us some careful details of your hard work.  Again sorry that you have had this disappointment.

PS This is not to be critical but for educational purposes. Thanks, Phillip 

[cao]

Check this one out. It's cheap, easy, and effective.

https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php/topic,1420.msg44188/topicseen.html#msg44188

iddee, do you have a picture to go along with that description?

Go to that page and scroll to the top.  There is several pics and directions to make it.

[Ben Framed]

Check this one out. It's cheap, easy, and effective.

https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php/topic,1420.msg44188/topicseen.html#msg44188

iddee, do you have a picture to go along with that description?

Go to that page and scroll to the top.  There is several pics and directions to make it.

Thanks Cao

[CoolBees]

Quoting Alan
''I've lost 9 out of 10 nuc split attempts this year.''

Sorry for your results Alan. For educational purposes, Would you mind starting a new topic? Perhaps will you tell us more about how you made you splits, what size boxes you used. Mated queen, queen cells, virgins, frames with eggs? Did you feed? How many frames of brood, eggs, honey, etc.  May save some of newer folks some grief if you can elaborate, by giving us some careful details of your hard work.  Again sorry that you have had this disappointment.

PS This is not to be critical but for educational purposes. Thanks, Phillip

Yes Phillip - I  have kept records of everything - and intend to share them as individual stories when it's done - IF it works - but ran into a "snag" (robbing - again) along the way, so had to post. ...  because I needed help.


Time will tell - I think you know, based on my posts, what I'm trying to accomplish  (as do a few others). .... but I can't get there without queens ... and this IS H10 I'm talking about ... 

The rest of the story I will happily provide this wonderful community  (would that Paul Harvey were at my side) after success has been achieved ... otherwise, it's a story of ... nothing.

Humbly ...

[Ben Framed]

Quoting Alan
''I've lost 9 out of 10 nuc split attempts this year.''

Sorry for your results Alan. For educational purposes, Would you mind starting a new topic? Perhaps will you tell us more about how you made you splits, what size boxes you used. Mated queen, queen cells, virgins, frames with eggs? Did you feed? How many frames of brood, eggs, honey, etc.  May save some of newer folks some grief if you can elaborate, by giving us some careful details of your hard work.  Again sorry that you have had this disappointment.

PS This is not to be critical but for educational purposes. Thanks, Phillip

Yes Phillip - I  have kept records of everything - and intend to share them as individual stories when it's done - IF it works - but ran into a "snag" (robbing - again) along the way, so had to post. ...  because I needed help.


Time will tell - I think you know, based on my posts, what I'm trying to accomplish  (as do a few others). .... but I can't get there without queens ... and this IS H10 I'm talking about ... 

The rest of the story I will happily provide this wonderful community  (would that Paul Harvey were at my side) after success has been achieved ... otherwise, it's a story of ... nothing.

Humbly ...

I feel sure that you will achieve your goals as long as you keep trying and have that bull dog hang on stubbornness. Wishing you the best!  My earlier splits worked out pretty well. I am in the process of another round. I tried the nicot system and I failed at that but it was my fault and not fault of he system.

[CoolBees]

Thanks all - Iddee I like your screens. Is there anywhere to buy them? I don't want to make them right now.

[CoolBees]

An update - everything seems calm this morning. Screens seem to be working. Pollen coming in. ... I have queens hatching on the 15th - possibly earlier. I need to open up and check the damage this afternoon - maybe add some brood to boost the population after the fighting in 1 (or more) of the nucs ... I want to get in there before they hatch so I can leave them alone for 2-3 weeks as the queens get settled.

[jalentour]

Cool,
I use these.  https://www.mannlakeltd.com/10-frame-moving-robbing-screen
I put them on nucs and splits the same day they are created.
Best of luck.

[iddee]

A bit cheaper here, J, but you could make about 3 dozen of mine for the price of one of those.

https://beezneedz.com/product/8-fr-robbing-screen/

[incognito]

Other than observing the behavior, is there a way to tell when to put the screens on?
Or do you just put them on to make sure you are not late?

[Nock]

Good question ^^^^. I?d like to know as well.