whoah - serious robbing

[ox]

I checked a hive today and it seemed to be weakish but doing ok. I went out there this evening and the whole hive was swarmed by a near bee hive (robbing). I shut the port down tight to let things cool off. I checked the combs and they were all but wiped out of honey. I added two syrup feeders of 1/1 INSIDE the hive where it can be closed off completely and accessed by the robbed hives bees. Any suggested plan of action?

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the ~ox-{ at www.singingfalls.com (http://www.singingfalls.com)

[Michael Bush]

First I would try to not use any kind of essential oils or smells in the syrup. It will only set off more robbing. Second, I would make a robber screen. You can buy one from Brushy Mt if you want to see one up close. They call it a "front door" but if you cut a notch in the top about 3/8" by 3/4" you'll have a robber screen. If you are handy you can figure it out without buying one. It's just a frame of 3/4" boards with screen on the front and the bottom board is in front of the rest of the frame so the entrance to the hive is open to the screen. A notch in the frame completes the door. The robbers tend to go by smell to find the entrance. They give up after a while when smell doesn't lead them in. The residents just keep at it (plus they often remember leaving by the door) so they find their way in.

You can also "Daisy" them. Rub Vicks vaporub around the entrance to confuse the smell for the robbers.

I sometimes reduce the entrance on the strong hives as well. If they have a SBB so they can get enough ventilation, then I will make a smell entrance on them. The traffic jam slows down the robbing a lot. Of course as soon as there is a flow you'll need to open it back up.

Also if you open feed it keeps the robbers busy at the feeders, and the weak hives also get a shot at the feeders.

[SoCal]

In the morning, pop the top off the robbing hive for a few hours, Plus what MB said.

[ox]

Thanks very much for the replies.
I had just put a jar of wintergreen syrup in the hive. It's a TBH and there was sufficient room in the back. Culprit for sure. Think I can get by simply screening the entrance for a day? I have to head to the big city early tommorrow. There's 3 quarts of syrup in there right now. Should be enough water and food to hold them. Ya think?

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the ~ox-{ at www.singingfalls.com (http://www.singingfalls.com)

[Michael Bush]

If it's in the sun I would try to leave some extra ventilation if you screen it shut. Or make sure you're in the shade. THey will need to ventilate. I would also put a jar of water in the back so they can do evaporative cooling.

[Daisy]

MB, I made another observation....

I allowed the grass to grow up in front of the entrances this year, clipping back a more narrow patch of grass... can you picture it?

Anyway since living in the city this year, I figured if the grass was grown up around the entrance it could be a deterrant for robbing episodes.

And by golly, I think it helped.

[Michael Bush]

I also have a lot of tall grass in front of hives. Since I went to top entrances, the smaller the hive the more the entrance has grass in front. It does seem to help a lot on robbing.