[ifixoldhouses]

I made a couple 5 frame nuc splits yesterday with mated queens, looks like robbing going on, I presume the foragers flew back to original hives, not any guards, or not many at all. I'm going to the beach, I just shut them completely off, I'll be back in 4 days, they have a boardman feeder with water, a pollen patty, and a hive top feeder with syrup. sound like the right thing to do? here's the video of the split https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AX4vImcgKo&t=68s
I've since learned that shiny black bees are robbers that have lost their hair, I see a few like that.

 

[JWPalmer]

Are you using SBB's? Closing off is fine as long as there is adequate ventilation. Supposed to be mid 90s tomorrow and high 90s on Sunday.

 

[ifixoldhouses]

yes, with screened inner cover as well

 

[Apis Natural]

If you have a screened cover, leave a big gap between the cover and screen for good air flow, otherwise you'll come home to allot of dead bees. Been there done that, be careful in that kind of heat. use 8 mesh screen to close them off too.
shiny bald bees are just old bees not just robbers.

 

[ifixoldhouses]

If you have a screened cover, leave a big gap between the cover and screen for good air flow, otherwise you'll come home to allot of dead bees. Been there done that, be careful in that kind of heat. use 8 mesh screen to close them off too.
shiny bald bees are just old bees not just robbers.

the cover has raised edges on two sides, it has #8 wire on the front.

 

[ifixoldhouses]

I got back and opened them up, the queen candy hadn't been touched, I let them out, all the honey was intact. I guess I shut it up in time. video in my vlog

 

[JWPalmer]

Suprised the candy had not been eaten and the queen released, but hey, no robbing and the splits are still alive. Works for me.

 

[ifixoldhouses]

man, these splits are getting hit hard every evening, I have to just shut them off, I tried the vicks vapor rub on corners of top cover.

 

[JWPalmer]

Make sure you are not confusing robbing with orientation flights which mainly occur between around 4 and 5 pm. Robbing is usually an all day event, orientation flights on the other hand, generally last ony 15 to 20 minutes before things settle back down. If the bees are just buzzing around the entrance and you do not see fighting, it is most likely orientation. Do not confuse the bees in this instance by blocking the entrance or masking the smell of the hive.

 

[ifixoldhouses]

check it out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU1Get0HpBg&feature=youtu.be

 

[JWPalmer]

Too me, all looks normal. There is no fighting on the landing board that I can see. If it were true robbing, the number of bees trying to storm the entrance would have been much greater, like 10x as many. Keep an eye on it, but I think you are ok.

 

[ifixoldhouses]

Thanks

 

[hagane]

I'm not trying to suggest anything, only learn from this.

But does moving both the robbed hive, and the one doing the robbing disrupt robbing? (In theory, someone could wait until the foragers come home and then do it right?) Or what else do people typically do to stop this?

How much does smoking the area they are fighting in stop them?

 

[JWPalmer]

The only way to stop robbing is to close off the hive being robbed. Then, either install a robbing screen or reduce the entrance to one bee width so that the hive can defend itself. With newly made nucs this is a problem because there are no guard bees, only nurse bees, in the hive. I have heard but never tried it, that putting some Vicks Vaporub near the entrance can mask the honey smell that is attracting the robbers. Moving the hive being robbed a mile or more away might help for a day or two, but foraging bees are everywhere, they will find it and the robbing will continue.