Robbing

[Pharmacyman]

I have one hive that is being robbed relentlessly. They were trying to rob my one hive on Sunday, then switched to the other yesterday. They are back today continuing to try and rob the same hive. Luckily I had robbing screens on. I have closed all entrances to the robbing screen. I also taped the hole on the inner cover. Concerned about the heat, I used pennies (two deep) to ventilate at the cover.

How long, in your experience, before the robbers give up?
Both hives have lots of resources, but I am concerned about their inability to go out and get water.
Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.

[Jacobs]

If robbing attempts are persistent, I suspect and look for queen issues in the victim hives. Queenlessness or failing queens may lead to a hive not being as defensive as others. If you find queen issues, the robbing attempts may continue until you get that resolved.

As for water, you can use a spray bottle and spray some inside the robbing screen where the bees can get it without having to fly. Another thing you can try is to get Vicks Vaporub or the generic of it and apply it on the bottom super and the landing board around the edges of the robbing screen. Robbers are coming to the smell of the honey at the screen and if they are fanning out Vaporub scent, that usually reduces the robbing pressure.

[Jacobs]

This is the first time this season that normal hive manipulations triggered chaos among my bees. The hive most under attack is the one I was working on. It has a marked queen laying a poor pattern and a few supercedure cells in progress. The hives most under attack got reducers back on, and the one I was working also got painters tape on bad corners and a healthy dose of vapo rub along seams. Things have not completely calmed down, but the chaos has slowed significantly.

[Pharmacyman]

My hive was completely robbed out and every bee was killed. This despite using all recommended defenses. Somehow, the robbing screen kept getting set back about a half inch from the super and they got in. I don't know how, because I would repeatedly make sure it was flush against the super. I believe you were correct about queen issues in that hive. On earlier inspections, I was seeing spotty brood patterns but took no action. The robbers must have sensed the weakness.

I only have one other hive. Is it too late in the year to buy and start a nuc in the robbed out hardware?

[Jacobs]

Check with Beez Needz to see if they still have nucs. I think they did a couple of weeks ago.

[reedyfork]

If no nucs are easily available, at this point in the season you might be best off storing the hardware and robbed out frames in the freezer and planning to utilize them for splits and supers next spring. You can treat, feed, and build up your remaining colony through the rest of the year and winter, and be in great shape to make one or more big splits in the spring!

[Pharmacyman]

I did tear the fallen hive down and put all the frames in the freezer. My other hive is amazingly strong. The capped brood is wall to wall with very few empty cells.

I guess I should have requeened the robbed out hive. Hind sight being 20/20, I did see an uneven pattern of brood in that hive. Are there any other signs of a weak queen I should look for in the future? Should I just requeen at regular intervals or is it ok to let the bees decide when to requeen?

[Jacobs]

You probably made the right decision going the way you did. Taking your losses in the fall has always been a difficult lesson for me to learn and put into practice, but I am doing it more and more. I have started serious queen evaluations earlier than I used to, in early August. Having more than 2 hives gives me flexibility to take action. If I have a queen that is performing poorly, I try and give her conditions that will let me see what she can do in early August. I may reduce a colony to nuc boxes, boost with a frame of capped brood and nurse bees, and start/keep feeding 1:1. This gives the queen bees for brood rearing and steady "nectar," two things that will stimulate egg laying if the queen is capable. If the queen responds and ramps up, I can give her more space as needed. If she does not, but is ok, I can keep that or those colonies as nucs and try and over winter them that way. Because I do bee presentations with observation hives, I always like to have a couple of nucs on hand. They make it easier to find and load the queen and present less of a threat to good strong colonies when loading observation hives in marginal weather. On occasion, they also provide the emergency queen to give to a good colony that has gone queenless in winter. A poor queen may get them through until a better one can be purchased/produced.

Knowing why you are seeing a poor pattern is important. Is the queen poorly mated with some of her own drones so that a number of larvae are being removed by workers? If so, she won't improve. Do you have varroa issues or other brood issues leading to a spotty pattern? If I see this in early August, I probably have time to treat and have the colony build up for over wintering. Do you have a lot of adult small hive beetles in the colony? We used to be told that it was only the larvae of the SHB that harmed colonies. Now with the large numbers of beetles we are seeing in colonies, they may pose a challenge to build up and good brood pattern with the number of eggs they consume. Lots of issues--no easy answers. Apiculture=agriculture.

[Jacobs]

I'm not too sure about this--

Robbing Control. . .

During a recent visit from Paul Hol-
combe, New Jersey State Inspector
of apiaries, gave us a very useful
thought which sometimes works
quite well in the control of robbing,
particularly when working in a bee-
yard. We found it useful and almost
the next day after he left us.

When robbers get bad, use a box
or empty hive body with a comb
of honey inside until the robbers
have found it and are concentrating
on it. Then put on a cover with an
entrance for the robbers to continue
their work and drop cyanide inside.
The robbers will come in but they
die. After a while, little robbing.
A good device. Also works well on
loads when loading honey.

Not really! I am sure. DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME!!!

[Wally]

I think that goes under "a little humor"

[Jacobs]

It would if it weren't a real article from 1953.

[Pharmacyman]

I don't believe it was Varroa. I treated and then tested afterward and saw no mites. My SHB count hasn't been bad this year. I didn't use pollen patties this summer. I have used traps which kept the numbers down. I don't know, but thanks. I will check closer for queen health in the future. I will not be using any cyanide.