[doodlebug]

This am woke up to see a lot of bees checking out an empty nuc box that I had set up on the porch. Cool, I think to myself. I then check out our 2 nucs to the back of our property and I notice there are not as many bees hanging on front of the 2 deep that was highly populated. OK, I think maybe I'm about to catch their swarm. About 2 weeks ago we had added another deep to this hive and they were drawing it out. I next go check out the new hive that was set up last Sunday. It is located about 300 feet away from the highly populated hive. This hive has an angry howl and bees are all over the place. Is the older stronger hive trying to move into the newest one? Bees are everywhere. I put on my bee suit, run and grab the entrance reducer, try to push off some of the bees and put the entrance reducer in place. I then got a sheet and soaked it with water and threw it over the new hive. There are bees just hanging all over it. Is there anything else I can do? Would moving the empty nuc box with some LGO in front of the hive that is seemingly under attack draw the attacker away? I'm new and totally overwhelmed at this point. Please help!

 

[Saltybee]

Out of boxes? If not leave in place, if yes move. Put new box at attacked location and move the old nuc. They may lose a few bees but keep the core.

 

[78-79fordman]

Sounds like you need to be adding more boxes . They need more room sounds like to me .

 

[RonnieS]

Robbing?

 

[doodlebug]

Thats what I think happend. Everything is quiet now, but I'm afraid to remove the sheet. We have had rain for like the last 4 days and I'm thinking that perhaps I ought to feed all of them? I'm waiting for my husband to get home from work then I think we will check the big hive to see if there is a reduction in bee population. I'm afraid to open the smaller hive because I don't want to attract anymore attention.

 

[Saltybee]

How many bees is a lot? Hundreds could be robbing, thousands swarm moving in. May not be your bees but feral so do not rule out a swarm because your big hive has not lost population.
Feeding I would not do at the hives. Were there any stores when you were splitting?

 

[doodlebug]

Was not doing a split. Just bought another nuk from a local guy. I think it could have been robbing. There were hundreds of bees, but it was kind of strange because after about 20 minutes of having applied the wet sheet, everyone calmed down. For awhile a softball size of bees just clung to the sheet, but they finally took off. My husband thinks it was just a bunch of new bees hatching out, but I don't know. Everything, including me, gotkind of frantic. The new nuc had 2 frames of honey and it had been raining for the past 4-5 days. I thought perhaps either my bees or some feral bees were looking for an easy meal.

 

[allniter]

or it could be young bees on their maiden fight -orientation

 

[doodlebug]

If so, the hive had a very angry sound to it. I don't know but everything seems ok this a.m. Maybe its just me being new and inexpirienced, but it seemed like something was going on. Gah, wish I was better at this!