Help?!? Robbers?

Post by **Jacobs** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 1:22 pm

I picked up my packages (2) at Brushy Mountain this morning and put them in the hives (urban Greensboro). I put entrance reducers on both hives and now a few hours later there is lots of activity outside both hives. Some bees are being stung by other honey bees. It appears as if some are flying a straight path to my hives from outside.

Is this a raid by a stronger hive located somewhere near by and if so, is there anything I can do but hope for the best?

ski · Post by **ski** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:13 pm

Just a thought . Maybe you can close up the hive all together for a few hours.

Post by **Wally** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 3:18 pm

Are you using the smallest hole available in the reducer? If so, try screening the whole entrance until dark.

First, tho, be sure it is outside bees, and not just orientation flights. Sometimes they will return to the wrong box and a fight will ensue.

Remove any feeder you may be using until the traffic settles down, then resume feeding. There is enough flow going on for them to not need feeding as much as they would during a lesser flow.

Locust&Honey · Post by **Locust&Honey** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 4:15 pm

The advice Wally just gave was the advice he gave me with a similiar problem. It worked out very well. I would do as Ski and Wally said and get your entrance down to no more than an inch or so. The inch was very important to conrol raiders/robbers for my hives. Also, I had to take away my Boardman feeders. Hope this works for yours. I will be interested to hear if it is another hive attacking yours or just wandering bees fighting it out. Keep us posted.

Post by **Jacobs** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:40 pm

Thanks to those that replied. I blocked off the entrances for about an hour and things seemed to calm down. There were far fewer bees around, only those wanting to get back into the hives with their sisters. When I re-opened the entrances, the occupant bees came out and began orientation flights around the hives. As of dark, all appears quiet and well for now.

Post by **Jacobs** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:12 pm

Things are rough again at the hives. I left home about 1:30 p.m. and all looked well. Bees going in and out of both hives at a good pace and some returning to each hive with pollen. I returned home at 3:45p.m. to find lots of bees outside both hives like yesterday. The group of bees were not doing meandering flights but absolutely trying to enter both hives. I blocked both off at 3:45p.m. The one least under "attack" still has a large number of drones hanging about the blocked entrance. The one under the strongest "attack" has many workers trying to get into the hive at any possible location and many drones mixed in.

Any thoughts? Does this sound like a raid or am I missing something?
Any suggestions about a long term solution. I don't think I can "let the bees out" for morning exercize each day and be home early enough each afternoon to prevent what I am seeing.

ski · Post by **ski** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:26 pm

Once again just thinking out loud since I am a newbee .

Can you wait till around dusk and let the bees in that may belong there. Then after dark close up the hive and move it as far from the other hive as you can get it.

Post by **Jacobs** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:42 pm

I don't think the problem is between the 2 hives. They seemed to do fine this a.m. I think there may be a strong colony nearby (whether wild or another urban beekeeper). Unfortunately, I have a very limited area in my yard where I can legally place hives.

ski · Post by **ski** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 4:28 pm

I remember you, you had the plot map of your lot.
Maybe this will help, it's the Michael bush's web site covering robbing.
Good Luck!

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

If you already have robbing occurring, here are some ways to stop it. A really weak hive can be closed up with some #8 hardware cloth for a day or two. The robbers can't get in and eventually get tired of trying. It helps if you can feed and water them. A little bit of pollen and a few drops of water will get a small nuc by. More will be required if there are more bees. After you open back up be sure to reduce the entrance. If you can feed, water and ventilate for 72 hours, you can close them up when they are full of robbers and force the robbers to join the hive. Another variety of confining them is to stop up the entrance with grass. The bees will eventually remove it, but hopefully the robbers will give up before then.

A "robber screen" can be built from scratch or from a screen door from Brushy Mt. It is a screen that covers the area around the door and has an opening in the top (you will have to make the whole affair or cut a notch in the wood of Brushy Mountain's screen door to make an entrance on the top.) This forces the robbers to turn a couple of corners to find their way in. Since they seem to go by smell this confuses them. It also stops skunks.

Vicks Vaporub around the entrance will also confuse the robbers because they can't smell the hive. It does not confuse the bees that live there.

Post by **Jacobs** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:37 pm

Thanks for the article. I have read it. I'm abit confused and discouraged. The colony least under attack is still blocked with grass and a few drones remain around the outside trying to get in. The hive most under attack still has a fair number of workers and drones on the outside trying to get in. It is also blocked with grass and has been since this afternoon. What is the significance of the way the 2 hives are now being treated?

These are 2 new packages with no stores of food or pollen. If I remove the top (only) feeders after dark and open the entrances, do I just hope for the best?

I don't see how I can close them up, feed and ventilate for 72 hours as Bush suggests in his article. I don't have pollen, and I am not sure how to ventilate the hive with the entrance blocked. How much ventilation is necessary?

Sorry for the long and repeated posts about this problem, but I do appreciate the suggestions and help.

Post by **Wally** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 7:04 pm

When I suggested removing the feeders until the traffic settles down, I should have been more specific. I meant days or weeks, not hours. The smell of sugar water will attract other hives until your hives are strong enough to protect their home. Take the feeders off for a minimum two weeks. The flow is plenty strong enough for them to provide for themselves. Then leave the entrance at 1 in. for the same period.

Post by **Jacobs** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:35 pm

Got it! Will do. Thanks--It's now about 10:25 p.m. It was an inartful entrance into the two hives--I crushed a few more bees than I would have liked to and spilled some sugar water on the ground. There appeared to be a reasonable number of bees in each of the hives but I spent as little time as possible with the hive open before replacing the inner and outer covers. I rinsed the area of the ground where the sugar water spilled and wiped down the outside of the hives.

The bees were not happy but despite doing this without protective gear or gloves, I did not get stung.

Thanks again Wally, Ski, Locust & Honey for responding. I'll let you know how the drama unfolds.

Post by **Jacobs** » Tue May 01, 2007 6:32 am

Just a quick update--both hives had normal activity yesterday and foragers this morning (5/1) are bringing pollen into both hives. The robbing crisis appears to be over. Again, thanks to all who responded with help/suggestions.

Post by **Wally** » Tue May 01, 2007 7:32 am

Anytime...We are all learning together. Hang around, and when we have a problem, we'll solve it together. When we don't, we'll just talk about bees.

Locust&Honey · Post by **Locust&Honey** » Tue May 01, 2007 7:52 am

Jacobs, thank YOU for sharing your problem. I think this is the way to help our learning curves. Your problem could be our problem one day and it helps us all to have had this discussed. I enjoy just reading when people post what they are seeing or trying even when it's not a problem. I need all the help I can get.