Have I killed a load of my bees? :-(

[jxl98c]

Hi all,

I started beekeeping this spring and everything has been going great in my two colonies - I even managed to harvest a tiny bit of honey whilst leaving both my 14x12 hives with a full honey super on.

Over the last few weeks one of my hives (the slightly stronger of my two) has been showing a lot of activity - at first I suspected orientation flights so didn't do anything about it but I realised that it was lasting too long so have recently had a re-think.

I read a lot about robbing - could it be that? I tried a damp towel, stuffing the entrances with grass, etc. but the bees started bearding near the hive but weren't overly looking to get in. So yesterday I created robber screens for my hives and stuck them on...

I can see some bees navigating the screen (which I was led to believe would happen for the bees living in the hive) and other bees were heading for the mesh at the opening - I thought I'd cracked it. However, the bees that I'd suspected were robbers bearded on the screen overnight, and stayed all through today in the rain and are all now looking shabby and a few have died. Presumably robbing bees would have gone home?

Did I mistakenly think robbing was occurring? if it wasn't - what was it?

Home come my bees didn't attempt to find an alternative way in like all the robbing posts / articles tell you they will if they're not robbers?

Are the bees (still bearded on the front) now lost? should I remove the screens? This is a total nightmare - my bees are in no-way conforming to anything I've read.


Things that made me suspect robbing...
- Bees with white on their head - didn't look like my bees.
- Bees entering the hive carrying nothing
- A lot of hectic activity (like orientation)
- A few wasps about
- bees being hectic all day until late at night

Things that made me doubt robbing
- No sign of fighting
- hive has always been strong
- Couldn't see a dip in flight when leaving the hive
- bees are bearding and staying not flying off now that its raining

 

[oliver90owner]

Yes, you mistakenly conjured up the idea of robbing. Remove the impediment to their entry/exit.

 

[Polyanwood]

I think your bees are on the himalayan balsam. they look like ghost bees with a white stripe down the top of them. It gives good nectar. probs not robbing.

 

[jxl98c]

The impediment has been removed but I'm going to lose sleep over this - why didn't they find the way in at the top of the robber screen? Everything I read and everyone I've spoken to have said the bees that live there will find a way in.

Totally bummed out.

 

[CathyRentahive]

Himalayan Balsam

lucky you to have Himalayan Balsam around....that will keep them going and may also explain the activity that is going on...eager bees!

 

[Swarm]

There should be adequate stores in a 14x12 that they do not require an additional super, remove, extract it and enjoy. They should be able to stock themselves up quite nicely on the Balsam.

 

[jxl98c]

A quick Google shows that Sherwood Forest / Sherwood Pines is full of Himalayan Balsam (wildsherwood.co.uk) - both of which are within touching distance of my colonies.

I really hope I've not done them too much damage - It's another lesson learned I guess.

 

[Tom Bick]

Have I killed a load of my bees?

Perhaps some but major damage I suspect not.

What you have learnt is you have a great late nectar and pollen on your doorstep and with ivy just around the corner great winter preparation for the bees.

I am fortunate that most of my bees also get a good late flow and to look at the hives right now you would think its May all over and stood watching the entrance of one or two thinking is this something sinister or just busy bees thankfully just busy bees and somehow more satisfying than busy bees earlier in the season.

We all make mistakes and bad calls and just as long as we learn from them and most of the time the bees work around us.

 

[Oscarmonster]

What time of day did you fit your robber screen?
You should fit it late evening once all your foragers are home. If you fit it during the day you will end up with the problem you describe.

 

[jxl98c]

What time of day did you fit your robber screen?
You should fit it late evening once all your foragers are home. If you fit it during the day you will end up with the problem you describe.

I fitted it around 8pm - the bees were still active but I was convinced there was robbing and started panicking and thought the home bees would find a way back in so bunged it on.

On top of the bee damage I also butchered a perfectly good travel screen to make my robber defence - what a tool!

 

[jxl98c]

Having reduced the entrances to 1 bee space - I've now uploaded a video here...

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=362530#post362530

...I'm still unsure on the business.

 

[jxl98c]

I think your bees are on the himalayan balsam. they look like ghost bees with a white stripe down the top of them. It gives good nectar. probs not robbing.

Just taken the dogs for a walk and discovered that the River Maun at the back of my house has a mile long stretch of Himalayan Balsam (or something equivalent) on both banks - all covered in bees

http://www.rupc.co.uk/bees/balsam1.jpg
http://www.rupc.co.uk/bees/balsam2.jpg

Good shout!

 

[oliver90owner]

Why have you reduced the entrances to one bee space?

RAB

 

[jxl98c]

Why have you reduced the entrances to one bee space?

RAB

Well now that I know it's not robbing I have but the entrance back to a small opening, bigger than one bee space.

I reduced it to 1 bee space as I found a lot of evidence to suggest that it helped the guard bees in their defence and the traffic would reduce opportunities for robbers to get in. It's also recommended by Fera / Defra in this bee base article here...

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/downloadNews.cfm?id=121

 

[rogerb]

Don’t feel bad, I’ve done much worse, and robbing can kill a small colony so fast it’s better to err on the safe side, no matter what you’re told on here

 

[mbc]

it’s better to err on the safe side, no matter what you’re told on here

 

[drstitson]

as per a previous post - 14x12s (full) are perfectly adequate for overwintering (perfect some might say).
if you haven't treated with thymol you could remove the supers and harvest, leaving the bees to fill up on HB and ivy.