angry bees - robbing

[beecology]

Further o the aggressive bees thread than was on recently, I was pretty much at a loss as to explain why the bees were so aggressive this year during inspections. I have, up until now been thinking weather and other usual reasons.

However, I have been watching the hive entrances recently and watched guard bees having rucks with nearly all incoming workers and furthermore, this has been the same in nearly every hive (especially the smaller splits following AS's).

Added to this, the weakest colony has a number of dead bees under entrance and only after watching the entrance fights could I pin this down to robbing.

I don't know exactly which hive is doing the robbing, or it may even be more than one, but judging by the nasty entrance encounters, it seems the robbing is widespread.

So, what is the best course of action for this (I want my nice calm bees back). I don't want to put reducers on when the flow is just about to start proper -could I unite the weaker colonies now with the stronger ones and see if that solves the issue?

I cant rule out a swarm somewhere close (in woodland nearby for example) as I have had several arrive at my apiary (and subsequently hived).

Thoughts and advice welcomed,

cheers

 

[BeeJayBee]

I've never tried it, but I've read about people sprinkling icing sugar on the robbers so they can see where they fly to. Would it be worth the effort?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Sounds like it could be a touch of CBPV.

 

[Anduril]

You have done the AS splits recently. The first few days could have started out as silent robbing then finding easy targets continuing the robbing. Are you feeding the splits?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I ALWAYS reduce the entrances of the parent hives....feeding or not.

 

[Excession]

You can leave the entrances wide open and easy targets.

Or close them right down to a single bee space making it easy to defend and not worth the effort to robbers.

Which one do you think will work?

 

[IAF]

Cbpv?

 

[beecology]

Sounds like it could be a touch of CBPV.

Hope not Pete.

Off topic, just to say your queen took perfectly and is laying up a storm - the bees are calming down in that colony now too, very many thanks from a very satisfied customer.

 

[beecology]

You have done the AS splits recently. The first few days could have started out as silent robbing then finding easy targets continuing the robbing. Are you feeding the splits?

The splits were made mid may and were fed at the time, but has taken a good while for the queens to get mated and starting to lay up.

 

[beecology]

You can leave the entrances wide open and easy targets.

Or close them right down to a single bee space making it easy to defend and not worth the effort to robbers.

Which one do you think will work?

No need for sarcasm - point taken, though in this weather and with a clover flow on, I am not keen to reduce to single bee space.

Added to that, I was hoping a good flow might put an end to the robbing?

 

[IAF]

Hi, could somebody tell me what CBPV means?

Don't worry found it.

 

[wessexmario]

CBPV = Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus

 

[BeeJayBee]

CBPV = Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus

Also this thread http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=29505