robbing

[herbcoop]

Yes sir, I did the same thing on small hive that I did a split on I put an aluminum adjustable reducer on it and made it closed all the way except the holes. My other hive seemed quite a bit active so I put the same type reducer, but besides the holes being open I gave them more to enter and exit on the ends. My other hive seems perfectly content but I might put one on this weekend and give them extra room to enter and exit but helping for protection

[Jacobs]

Massive robbing on one hive and one nuc this morning. These are early season swarms with queens of suspect quality. I guess I am getting some indicator of which hives need combining. Both are closed up now, but there are a lot of bees on the front of the robber screen on the hive. I wonder if robbers are passing out goodies through the screen.

The small swarm in my last post was completely robbed out, but survived and I added 2 frames of capped brood and nurse bees to it about 5 days ago. It has a nuc robber screen on it. It was not the subject of today's attacks.

[WannaBee1]

@ Rob: You said "I wonder if robbers are passing out goodies through the screen."

Were you joking or do the robbing bees inside really do that? Seems to me the 'home' bees would overwhelm and kill any robbers inside the hive. Wouldn't they?

[Jacobs]

I really don't know if they will pass nectar/honey through the screen, but it is a possibility. I did shut both hives up for awhile, the nuc with a reducer and a wad of grass, and the hive with a robber screen with all entrances shut. Things seem to have calmed down now. The robbing was so extensive that if I had done nothing, the house bees would have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of robbing bees. I think what I did gave them the ability to rally and regain the upper hand. When I can safely open the hives, I do expect to see a good number of dead bees (robbers and house bees) on the bottom boards.

[Wally]

I placed a 10 frame deep with a queen and 2 frames of bees in the yard one year from a cutout. The next morning there were thousands of robbers swarming it. I closed it up and moved it about 7 miles. A week later I had about 7 frames of bees and 3 frames of brood. It made a strong hive.

The robbers couldn't find their way home, so made it their home.

[WannaBee1]

Wally, did you have a hunch the robbers would stay and make it their the cutout hive their home? What would have happened had you closed it up with the robbers inside just where it stood? Do you suppose there would be lots of dead home bees and robbers as Rob thinks he might find when he is able to open his hive again? Rob, please be sure to let us know what you find.

[Wally]

If left at home, you would have to close it up for 4 days or more. In this weather, that would be disastrous.

I felt sure it would work, as they had no other place to go. Where I placed them, there were no other hives.

I think Rob will find few dead bees, unless he leaves them closed too long. Then the dead will be from overheating.

[Jacobs]

I gave them small openings late Friday afternoon after things had been calm for several hours. I have not opened the hives to see the bottom boards, but both (and all other hives) were calm all day yesterday.

[WannaBee1]

Thanks for the good information, guys. My fingers are crossed for when you open your hive, Rob.

[Jacobs]

I just went through the nuc that had been a target. There is a good looking queen laying a very nice pattern, and everything was in order. They could use more space so I gave them another nuc box with 2 frames of honey and 3 of open, drawn comb. I'll probably check the hive that was a target sometime tomorrow, but from all appearances, it is doing fine.