"... dribble of sugar water in that and leaving it open...."
that encourages robbing. once they get going in earnest, they are hard to stop.
that encourages robbing. once they get going in earnest, they are hard to stop.
Robbing Behavior?
This morning I noticed a lot of activity at the front of a hive I just started up 2 weeks ago. at 8am in the cool morning air a knot of bees larger than a softball bearding from the hive... Suspecting a possible robbing event I constricted the existing entrance reducer to 1/2 inch. The other 4 hives in the yard had normal morning activity
After lunch I got back home, the bearding bees were gone, walking back to the house I notices a swarm in a pine tree lots flying about, very docile to handle and look at. I put out a 5 frame nuc with 2 frames of wax, one with a little honey left on it.
4 hours later the swarm was pretty much in the nuc, shredding the wax, no queen in sight, still pretty docile. Nearby 25 feet or so at a 3 month old colony I noticed a lot of activity on one of the hive boxes, bees bearded around the back of the hive, a considerable amount, a lot of bees apparently fighting too. The bees at the established conolny much more angry, (2 stings later)
So it's entrance reducers on everything tonight, the nuc with just 3 frames and foundation open near-by, a dribble of sugar water in that and leaving it open.
Am I doing the right thing?
Can;t spank them all for bad behavior:no:
After lunch I got back home, the bearding bees were gone, walking back to the house I notices a swarm in a pine tree lots flying about, very docile to handle and look at. I put out a 5 frame nuc with 2 frames of wax, one with a little honey left on it.
4 hours later the swarm was pretty much in the nuc, shredding the wax, no queen in sight, still pretty docile. Nearby 25 feet or so at a 3 month old colony I noticed a lot of activity on one of the hive boxes, bees bearded around the back of the hive, a considerable amount, a lot of bees apparently fighting too. The bees at the established conolny much more angry, (2 stings later)
So it's entrance reducers on everything tonight, the nuc with just 3 frames and foundation open near-by, a dribble of sugar water in that and leaving it open.
Am I doing the right thing?
Can;t spank them all for bad behavior:no:
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