[threepingsthree]

I just inspected my hive about 3 days ago, and then left for the weekend. I know that inspections can sometimes set off robbing. When I got home, I noticed a small amount of fighting and was curious whether or not it was robbing. The videos I saw online were very aggressive and nasty, but they were also large hives in an apiary that had more than one hive. The colony in the video is a recently hived swarm of about 2 weeks, I know of no other beekeepers in the surrounding area. During my last inspection I noticed about 3 frames of nectar on old comb.

My question is: Is a small amount of fighting normal in a healthy hive, or is robbing an all-or nothing occourence? I've already taken just in case measures and reduced the hive entrance to 1 1/2"

The Video is currently being uploaded to Youtube at http://youtu.be/AHkq2M7ssxU

 

[Dakota]

I recently posted a similar question. Here's my video. You can see the guard bees jumping on bees and checking them out. Seems bit less subdued than I see in your video, but I'm still kind of n00b.

 

[beesohappy]

Looks to me like all the bees are doing what their supposed to be doing. I see flowers in the background so there should still be nectar coming in. Their fanning the front of the hive to try and cure the nectar like normal.

 

[threepingsthree]

So thats good news, I just never thought that the guard bees would jump on incoming foragers like that. Dakota, my bees were acting similarly when I didn't have the camera running. I took the entrance reducer out, and it was business as usual.

 

[dynemd]

Tyler-
That looks real normal, plus see the bees ventilating the hive by flapping their wings either to cool the hive or dry out the nectar to make honey. I wouldn't close it down as it will make it difficult to move the air (without evidence of fighting) Robbing looks more like a war on the front landing...