Robbing

[parkranger]

Not 100 pct sure but there are bees flying between the two A/S hives that I performed 10 days ago. I assume that the Q+ hive is robbing the Q- hive which is being fed at the moment. Is there anything that i can do or must I wait until the virgin Q gets mated and then either move one away or reunite. If i stop feeding, will the robbing stop?

 

[nonstandard]

I had similar problems a couple of years ago; assuming that they are side by side move the brood hive further away from the queen hive and put a entrance block in to restrict the entrance. What you have to watch out for is if the new queen is likely to have hatched and off mating I wouldn't move the hive until she is laying.

 

[parkranger]

both are on a restricted entrance anyway and as you say can't move the Q- hive in case she is out. Was first drawn to the fact that there seemed to be too many flying bees coming to the hive bearing in mind that there shouldn't be any.

 

[mbc]

Robbers behave alittle differently to foraging bees, often zigzagging in front of the hive before making a dart for the entrance, often to retreat again if met by a "home" bee.
Reduce the entrance of the weak hive further, down to one bee space if necessary, and hope a flow begins and they forgert about robbing, otherwise they could continue until theres nothing left unless you remove the hive being robbed completely from the apiary,

 

[itma]

As per mbc, reduce the entrance to 1 bee-size.

Next trick is to put a pane of greenhouse glass in front of the entrance. Oddly, that seems to confuse the robbers more than the residents.

After that, close the victims up completely, and take them away somewhere else.


Feeding. Always a good idea to install and top up feeders at dusk if at all possible. It attracts less attention from the other hives.

 

[parkranger]

unfortunately, moving them is not an option at the moment as more than likely have a virgin Q about to make a mating flight as soon as the weather improves, but will reduce the entrance to 1 beespace and try the piece of glass.

Thanks

 

[Arfermo]

unfortunately, moving them is not an option at the moment as more than likely have a virgin Q about to make a mating flight as soon as the weather improves, but will reduce the entrance to 1 beespace and try the piece of glass.

Thanks

So move the Q+ one instead and preferably some 3 miles away for a week or so to, say, the local BKA apiary or that of a willing pal? To make sure that robbing was taking place on one of my nucs last year, I sprayed the cluster of bees around the entrance with "Plasti-kote" a white garden games paint and then watched to see if the robbers arrived back where I thought they would. Harmless but very effective. Having proved my suspicions I then did as I have suggested to you and moved the nuc several miles away to a fellow beek.

 

[beekeeping4you]

So move the Q+ one instead and preferably some 3 miles away to, say, the local BKA apiary or that of a willing pal?

The Q+ one will not stop robbing once they have learned how easy it is and have a good chance to become the best performing honey producers continuing to silently rob many more colonies of your local BKA apiary (or that of a pal)
My suggestion: Find a clearing deep in the woods and isolate them...

Regards
Reiner

 

[richardbees]

park

I suggest you open tomorrow and check the Qcell - it's a right b*stard to solve as things stand

itma's right about feeding - maybe there could be a sticky?