Can someone please explain this?

[mintmoth]

I had a small swarm move into my hive on Wednesday (my first bees - yay!).
Friday morning I gave them a litre of 1:1 syrup.
On Saturday there was a lot of argy-bargy going on up the side of the hive and around the entrance, with clumps of bees pulling and pushing each other about. There were dark bees and some with stripes – also bees were zipping about the garden at a rate of knots, not at all calm, and bees under and behind the hive searching around. It was the same this morning, so thinking it may be robbers after the syrup I closed the entrance down to one bee space.

I was mucking about in my shed today, so I put my H/M nuc outside out of the way, about 10 feet from the hive.

By this afternoon, the hive was calm with a few dark bees coming and going - and the nuc had got stripey bees on the front and going in and out. There's just one frame in there with foundation on as I was going to use it as a bait box.

So - were 2 swarms fighting over possession of the hive, was it robbers who gave up, or is there another answer?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Scouts do fight over new homes.

 

[mintmoth]

Thanks, Erica, that's quite reassuring to know

 

[BeeJayBee]

By this afternoon, the hive was calm with a few dark bees coming and going - and the nuc had got stripey bees on the front and going in and out. There's just one frame in there with foundation on as I was going to use it as a bait box.

So - were 2 swarms fighting over possession of the hive, was it robbers who gave up, or is there another answer?

I'd say you're right and you had another swarm looking for a home, or a ready-to-swarm colony's scouts are checking the new, and easier to move into, box over.

Here's hoping they move in, and you'll get a second colony to look after.

 

[beeno]

Hi mintmoth,
Sorry, but I would go for robbers as it happened after feeding. Also, a small colony is often subjected to robbing and may stop fighting as they know they are outnumbered or it could just be that the fighting has stopped because the 1:1 is finished? Hope they make it and perhaps there is another one coming.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well, have a look inside.
If you are going to feed the best way to do it is to place your feeder empty during the day and to fill it when the bees have stopped flying. That way you minimise the chances of robbing.

 

[pargyle]

Well, have a look inside.
If you are going to feed the best way to do it is to place your feeder empty during the day and to fill it when the bees have stopped flying. That way you minimise the chances of robbing.

Yes ... I always top up feeders at night ... lot easier than pouring syrup with bees investigating what you are doing .. at night you can just take the roof off, top it up and be away - not a bee in sight except through the clearn crownboard or in the feeder.

 

[mintmoth]

Well, I had a look inside on Tuesday and was disappointed to see only a mugful of bees inside. Quite a few dead bees scattered around the garden, and no activity in the nuc.

Then, on Wednesday (15th) I saw a swarm arrive (so did my neighbours who rushed round to tell me to close all my windows!) and in half an hour they were all inside the hive.

So that mugful of bees had stuck with the hive for a week, and I don't know if they were scouts for the swarm that arrived, or were ousted or taken over by the swarm.

Anyway, had a quick look today and there are bees on 3 frames and some taking in pollen, so at least they know what they are doing, even if I don't know what they're doing

 

[pargyle]

Anyway, had a quick look today and there are bees on 3 frames and some taking in pollen, so at least they know what they are doing, even if I don't know what they're doing

Get used to it ... even when you think you know what they are doing they will outwit you ... why do you think they've managed to exist on this planet so long ?

 

[BeeJayBee]

Then, on Wednesday (15th) I saw a swarm arrive (so did my neighbours who rushed round to tell me to close all my windows!) and in half an hour they were all inside the hive.

So that mugful of bees had stuck with the hive for a week, and I don't know if they were scouts for the swarm that arrived, or were ousted or taken over by the swarm.

That's brilliant news.

You do realise that this makes you one of the Finn's 'two hive beekeepers'!