Double robbing?

[katmike]

I am new and hived my first 2 packages 2 weeks ago today, and since I'm new I'm not exactly sure what I am observing but I think they're robbing each other. I have been feeding 1-1 sugar water (qt jar on the inner cover).

Here's what I am seeing:

-Bees in several litte balls on the landing board, appear to be biting and fending off.

-Flight pattern seems to be mostly back and forth between the 2 hives (about 15 ft apart).

-Noisy. Seems to be a lot of dancing in front before landing.

I have entrance reducers on both hives set to the largest opening (about 4 inches).

If this is robbing I am seeing what can I do since I don't really have either one established? I would also think that reducing both entrances at the same time would inhibit normal foraging. :confused:

[ChellesBees]

How close together are the hives? The entrance should stay reduced to the smallest slot until new bees start to hatch, because your numbers will dwindle until then, making it harder for them to defend the hive.

[xC0000005]

Are the bees leaving the hive climbing up the front to fly off? I built a wire cage with an angled edge that I hooked to the front of the hive. Bees climbing up had to climb past the angled wire edge to climb the hive. Had a whole bundle of bees trapped there by the time I took it off and let them go (they looked like a cartoon drawing of bees, circlng then heading off in the direction of their hive.) Of course, if it is your OWN bees robbing, well, you probably won't want to keep them there.

[Michael Bush]

Sounds like robbing. That's the downside of feeding.

[katmike]

I ended up moving one of the hives at the opposite end of my property, about 1000 ft.

I am sure it was robbing because they're much quieter and things seem orderly again. I guess I don't understand why they think it's better to go get the other hive's sugar water than the stuff that's right over their own heads, but then I don't think like a bee.

I would have preferred to leave them together and take advantage of all the clover and alfalfa but now one hive will need to take the long route to get it. Maybe I'll try moving them closer once they become stronger.