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Robbing

14K views 44 replies 17 participants last post by  tommyt 
#1 ·
I have some nuc robbing going on in the yard. If I take the feeders away, will the robbing stop. Or will they start going after the honey?
 
#2 ·
In my experience, once they start they don't stop. I lost several nucs to robbing because they wouldn't stop even after I tried to divert their attention with open feeding. I finally had to move the remainder of the nucs to another yard where there was more foraging opportunities for the big hives.
 
#3 ·
You CAN stop it but it is difficult and you must attend to it immediately. Here is a link to some great info on robbing. I've had to deal with it a number of times. I was successful with a nuc after I blocked the entrance completely for 2 or 3 days. I'd open it at night so it could breathe and would check it first thing in the a.m.; if I saw robbers - or even suspected them - I shut it down again.

http://www.countryrubes.com/images/Robber_Bees.pdf
 
#5 ·
In my VERY limited experience I have found that nucs defend their entrance better than a regular size hive if the entrance is a 1" hole. Two weeks ago I made up a nuc and their were already bees guarding the entrance hole 10 minutes later. I had serious robbing going on two feet away at a double deep hive but nothing at my two nucs.
 
#9 ·
reducing the enterence doesnt work when you have 50 bees bum rushing the enterence, I have tried that. Yesturday I laid a piece of screen over the enterence and they moved that. I have screen bottom boards and I am wondering if I can completly shut the front door. High temps here will be in the upper 90's the next couple of days.
 
#10 ·
I laid a piece of screen over the enterence and they moved that. I have screen bottom boards and I am wondering if I can completly shut the front door.
Sfisher - that's what I did - completely closed it off. But I do have both inner and bottom screened boards. I also put a lid inside the hive with water in it. Water will become important.

Like I said, I opened it at night when everyone was inside, which allowed any residents to get inside. And I got up very early to check on it to see if it had started again. I also rubbed Mentholatum around on the hive - can confuse the robbers but not the residents. I was throwing everything at them I could. Total blocking is what saved them - but I sure hated to do it with the heat. I would just check them frequently if possible. GOOD LUCK!
 
#11 ·
Oh yeah - I did read somewhere that you can drape a damp towel over the hive. Maybe put a pot in front so it won't close up the opening. The residents can get out and will reorient to find their new way in. The robbers will keep butting the front. With this heat, that may be the best way to go. I'll see if I can find where I read that...
 
#12 ·
Sf, wondering how the hive is looking tonight? Didn't really find anything good on the towel deal - just that it was an option. On my nuc, after I opened it back up, I did make the opening so small only 1 bee could fit through. I just stuffed it with straw and kept adding and spreading it out till I knew it was small enough. Last thought, I also held a screen in place with a brick once. But I've also seen people nail them on, or duct tape, push pins - anything to keep them in place. The screened entry would be good if you shut them down. Just a few more thoughts - I know how frustrating the battle can be.
 
#13 ·
They moved the screens again today. I will be able to open the nucs sunday morning and check damage. I dont have any 1/8" hardware cloth to make good robber screens with, but I do have some window screen to make temp. ones. I will do that tomorrow I plan to fill the hive top feeders with water, and give them a frame of honey. If the robber screens dont work, i will shut them up good.
 
#15 ·
I've had a hive that was getting robbed for its honey, so I doubt it would stop. I would put on a wet sheet(you're supposed to keep it wet, though I let it dry somewhat a few times and they lived. However, if it's hot I would keep it wet quite diligently) or a robber screen to stop the robbing. Sorry for telling you this even though you were already doing something about it, I did not read the thread except for the first post.


Nathan
 
#17 ·
Went into the nucs today, all the syrup was gone but the honey was intact. I put water in the hive top feeders, and robber screens on the front door. Then I had to remove one of the robber screens because that hive has a newly hatched queen, and I am afraid she wont be able to go on her matting flights, with the robber screen on. What do you think?
 
#22 ·
Does anyone think the virgin queen will be affected by the robber screen?
Yes, the effect is that it may save her life:

This last week, before I got the mating screens on my nucs, a queen returned form her mating flights in the middle of the "robbing war" going on at the entrance.
One of her wings was badly damaged as she passed through the melee at the entrance.

I found her dead on the ground the next morning.

Just like the workers, if the queen exits through the robbing screen, she will reorient and return to the hive the way she left.
 
#25 ·
Glad to hear that you stopped the robbing. I don't put anything in my syrup but sugar and water, it is important this time of year as plain sugar water has no smell. Things like HBH just ring the dinner bell for miles. I was in your neck of the woods last weekend in NMB. Granddaughters were in the Dance competition in MB.
 
#26 ·
I also had a major robbing going on in a new nuc. First I reduced the opening to a 3/4" hole. No help at all. I tried putting a robbing screen on after it got dark to no avail, every one just went around it the next day. I finally moved them 200 feet away at night and put a leafy branch in front of the opening so they would reorient. That worked. The robbers have not found them, they keep looking at the old location. The nuc is looking ok and most important there are four sealed queen cells that are ok. I think next time I make up a nuc,I will hold off feeding for at least a few days so things can settle down.

Bill S
 
#28 ·
I have to ask again ??
Why would you be feeding a hive that has Honey in it

As to your last question
Yes you can close them off with screen bottom board
Why are you closing them off ??
I also feel if you put robbers screens in they will learn and use the new way out/in
If you keep changing that, That will confuse them and IMHO somewhat retard their growth
 
#41 ·
I have to ask again ??
Why would you be feeding a hive that has Honey in it
Possible reasons:

To keep the queen producing brood, to keep them producing wax, to keep them from being malnutritioned - they are reluctant to break into capped honey unless they have to.

Bees that are malnutritioned all summer long are going to have a harder time fighting off diseases/parasites AND build up a healthy population of new bees to over winter.

Unfortunately feeding does cause robbing - so does excessive exposure of open hives. Last summer it was a big problem. This summer I've kept most inspections to a quick peak under the hood unless I suspect a problem - check for visible brood and honey along the top and plenty of bees, then close it up before trouble starts. Not an ideal inspection, but Less stress on the bees and not much robbing so far.
 
#29 ·
So much for the "feeding doesn't hurt anything" theory...

Robbing needs to be stopped ASAP. Stopping feeding will not be sufficient, but it may be a necessary first step. Unfortunately you can't just take away what started the robbing and expect it to stop. It's much easier to keep it from happening than it is to stop it once it starts.

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