Robber Caught!

[MDenver]

I've heard there are hundreds of kinds of wild bees but this one kind in particular is doing a pretty good job at robbing my hives. Anybody recognize her?

http://gabionmedia.com/robber.html

[tigger]

Actually, I'd say it's a him, not a her.

Looks like a drone to me. Don't think they're robbing. Either coming back from looking for queens to mate with, or maybe sniffing around a virgin or very recently mated queen in your hives.

[devdog108]

I agree with Tigger, its a him. i learned that the hard way too when i went looking for my queen. I didn't have any in the 2 swarms i caught, then one day bam, there was one, a few days later it sounded like a 747 coming through....looked around....drones were everywhere....

[lupester]

He is wanted for 2 counts of honey robbing in Texas!

[tigger]

Jessbee James!

nyuk nyuk nyuk.

[bleta12]

I've heard there are hundreds of kinds of wild bees but this one kind in particular is doing a pretty good job at robbing my hives. Anybody recognize her?

http://gabionmedia.com/robber.html

I think that you need to start doing some reading. There are books that can teach you the basics of beekeeping and help you identify the members of a honey bee colony and save you from asking embarrassing questions.

Good luck Gilman

[devdog108]

hey DRUR, I resemble that remark......ROFL......and Bleta12, I have made MUCH worse mistakes, and luckily i have guys like the ones here and you to correct me. If I felt it was a stupid question, i know i'll get hammered for it....but sometimes learning is tough...LOL, especially for people like me.....LOLOLOL. I dont get a whole lot of time to read, so I have to run on assumptions sometimes......as did he i am sure!

[Hambone]

hey DRUR, I resemble that remark......ROFL......

You and me brotha.....:D

[DiverDog]

I think that you need to start doing some reading. There are books that can teach you the basics of beekeeping and help you identify the members of a honey bee colony and save you from asking embarrassing questions.

Good luck Gilman

I think when you are just starting out in anything there is no embarrasing or stupid question. I have read countless hours so far this year, and there is very little talk or pics of drones. They talk about the common DCA and reproduction and show very few pics. I posted a similar thread earlier this week. He isnt the first to believe they are robbers, and surely won't be the last. I too just hived a swarm, and I didnt notice any drones while doing so. A few days later I was sitting by the hive when the buzz totally changed and there were 20 or so flying all around the yard and hive. They were going in and coming right back out seconds later giving the impression of robbing. It is easy to understand why we would think that.

Unfortunately we can't all be honeybee encylopedias right off the bat like you bleta!:doh: Thats why I came to this forum to ask questions, share knowledge and talk to people with the same interests as me. There are no embarassing questions when you are trying to expand your knowledge of something!

[USCBeeMan]

Had to look at "him" again. This time closer. It's a drone. Just looking at the bee without another bee is hard to determine what kind of bee you have in your hand.

But then I looked at his eyes. They are extremely large, much larger than worker bees.

Just thought I would post this since you were poked fun at and not given a clue as to why they knew it was a drone.

[bleta12]

Unfortunately we can't all be honeybee encylopedias right off the bat like you bleta!:doh: Thats why I came to this forum to ask questions, share knowledge and talk to people with the same interests as me. There are no embarassing questions when you are trying to expand your knowledge of something!

There is nothing wrong to recommend reading to some one who needs reading. Reading is not a dirty word, it is a just way to learn, which helps on whatever activity you are engaged.
Identifying the members of the honey bee colony is very elementary and easily learned in the very first pages of any beekeeping book.
I don't mean disrespect but seriously believe that reading is an excellent way to expand your beekeeping knowledge and be a better beekeeper.

Gilman

[MDenver]

First, to all, I apologize for not having an Italian worker honey bee in the photo for comparison. This bee is HUGE. I've only kept Italians and I can say with some confidence it's not Italian drone.

Second, to the get-a-book guy, I have and have read many books on beekeeping and you're right I probably could have figured it out from a book. I'm not embarrassed by asking the question but I think you might want to rethink how go about "helping" your fellow beekeepers.

ps: They do sound like 747's :lpf:

[DRUR]

Sometimes we need to lighten up because of all the bad news in the world. Once one person gets together it is only natural for the landslide to continue. Question wasn't all that dumb, and sorry if you were not offended, but take it as it was offered. The question was answered and the rest was us joking, more with one another than with you.

Danny

[devdog108]

and again I say, jeez, I resemble that remark, and laugh about it as i go to watch the girls.....and or guys...depends. This new package came with a few 747's but jeez they get up early and go to bed late. The are swallowing over a quart of 1 to 1 a DAY!!!

[DiverDog]

devdog, I did not feed my 2 nucs I got b/c they were doing fine on their own. However I am feeding my new swarm 1:1 and they did a quart in just over 6 hours today, 1 qt. in 24 hrs. yesterday, and 1 qt in 24 hrs. the day before that. It is unbelievable how much this swarm is working. Today was an ugly with temps. in the low 60s with gray skys and occasional sprinkle and the girls are bringing in pollen like crazy. They are loaded up so much I'm surprised they can fly.:thumbsup:

[NasalSponge]

I get a kick out of questions like this one....a little chuckle,;) and can fully see how this could be a real concern to someone. They are huge, noisy, and dart around a lot while flying, and in my observation seem to show up in mass to the hive, they look and behave nothing like a worker. At the same time the new beek has been reading in here about the terrors of robbing.....Yep, a good question.:)

[devdog108]

Well, I just added another qt, they found it immediatly and its 8:30 and nearly dark here and they are still rolling........

[bleta12]

First, to all, I apologize for not having an Italian worker honey bee in the photo for comparison. This bee is HUGE. I've only kept Italians and I can say with some confidence it's not Italian drone.

Second, to the get-a-book guy, I have and have read many books on beekeeping and you're right I probably could have figured it out from a book. I'm not embarrassed by asking the question but I think you might want to rethink how go about "helping" your fellow beekeepers.

ps: They do sound like 747's :lpf:
Helping? Ok, if "go get a book" is not helping, I would recommend to use lighter gloves while handling a drone:lookout:
You may be right, caniolan drones may be really dark and an inexperienced beekeeper may easily confuse them with ... I don't know, a dark drone?
I thought that you catching the robber was funny, If this beekeeping thing does not work, you really may have a career in law enforcement. Just kidding.
On a serious note, be a hands on beekeeper, open the hive with a purpose and be obsevent, and ask questions. The worse that can happen is you may have people like me having a little fun but all is good. There is no shame on asking any questions. I really wish you well.
Drones are understudied and underestimated and by most of beekepeers they are considered a drag on the colony which is very far from the truth.
Now I have a question for you:
In a year, a normal colony produces tens of thousants of workers, up to 10K drones and only a handfull of queen cells (20-25). We know that those drones dont normaly mate with their sister virgin queens which mate only with up to 20 drones so 25 potentialy queens need only 25X20= 500 drones. So why this inbalance in needed numbers? Why the extra drones?

Gilman

[devdog108]

Im not sure, but my Minnesota Hybrids in a package I just got, the drones are darker in color, but BOLDLY striped, and they are really friggin loud, i mean really loud.

[USCBeeMan]

In a year, a normal colony produces tens of thousants of workers, up to 10K drones and only a handfull of queen cells (20-25). We know that those drones dont normaly mate with their sister virgin queens which mate only with up to 20 drones so 25 potentialy queens need only 25X20= 500 drones. So why this inbalance in needed numbers? Why the extra drones?

Gilman

Cause they don't have Viagra? :lpf:

It was mentioned that the drone was very large. I started a thread back in April (I think) mentioning that the drones were really huge this year. Got some replies back that they were seeing the same thing.

Mother Nature know something we don't about this year? :scratch:

[icodebot]

I've heard there are hundreds of kinds of wild bees but this one kind in particular is doing a pretty good job at robbing my hives. Anybody recognize her?

http://gabionmedia.com/robber.html

Dude, I am new to beekeeping, but I am pretty sure that drones don't rob. Even my wimpy Cordovan Italian worker bees could defend against the roughest, toughest Africanized drone!

Bring them on!!!!

P.M. me and I'll explain why. :thumbsup:

[icodebot]

Had to look at "him" again.

USCBeeMan really? I've read many of your posts, and you know your stuff.

Didn't those huge creepy eyes just smack you in the head and say, "Hey I'm a drone look at me!"

Seriously I think the OP was trolling, but I love it! Got a good laugh. :lpf:

[mariongoose]

I needed to see a lot of drones before I knew what I was looking at. We had a pile of dead bees, so we sorted through them just to practice picking out the drones. After seeing several, it became a lot easier to identify them quickly. I still have yet to ID a queen in that mass of crawling, buzzing bees. I'm happy when I see eggs and larva, I know it's just a matter of time and practic until I can pick her out easily.

[MDenver]

You guys are pretty funny and it makes asking stupid questions easier. So here's one more for my thread.

After checking in my extensive bee library I can't find a passage that states they attack coming and going drones. Seems like the authors think this only happens in the fall but all the hives "have at" these drones.

Thanks for any thoughts (I think).

ps: I'm not a dude.

[devdog108]

I sat and watched to see how late my new package would work last night. I observed 2 things. I had 2 bumblebees decide they were dumb enough to hit the landing board, they did NOT make it inside and were accosted badly for even thinking about it. Every time a drone would get close, they would bombard him before he even hit the landing....I watched 1 drone get hit 3 or 4 times before he ever hit the ground. He never got up.......and the ants carried him away.

[sierrabees]

<I think that you need to start doing some reading. There are books that can teach you the basics of beekeeping and help you identify the members of a honey bee colony and save you from asking embarrassing questions.>

Reading is always good, but the purpose of these forums is to give people a chance to ask questions. If you aren't sure, keep on asking.

[terri lynn]

I agree. I have 10 or more books just on bees, more books than many small libraries with everything combined (just ask my brothers and dad - they started writing jokes on all of the boxes when I moved, they easily outnumbered boxes of anything else), but there have been many things I've asked on this forum that I couldn't find in any of them. Or sometimes there's something similar, but you have just enough different that makes you wonder. And the experience on this forum and the willingness of people to share their knowledge has made a world of difference to me. A book just can't always cover 40 or 50 years of beekeeping...multiplied by all of the folks on here. While all these other people are on facebook (to which I don't know if I could remember my password), myspace,etc, I'll be hanging out here when I have a moment.

So here's to BOTH reading and learning from those more experienced!

[Bizzybee]

ps: I'm not a dude.

Does that mean you don't ride a horse or you are not male? :)



With all the gals getting into beekeeping these days, I'm surprised so many still assume every beek is a man.

These things take time I suppose................ :waiting: :)