?Robbing

[Rosie gill]

It looks like my bees are being robbed, lots of bees around the front of the hive, (the weather has suddenly got a bit warmer) and quite a few dead bees on the ground and a bit of tusseling out side the entrance. could it be robbing at this time of year. am about to put my entrance block back on (have a mouse guard on at the moment) and reduce the entrance to 1 bee space. should I do something else, or have I got it wrong
Help
Rosie

 

[Norfolk]

It looks like my bees are being robbed, lots of bees around the front of the hive, (the weather has suddenly got a bit warmer) and quite a few dead bees on the ground and a bit of tusseling out side the entrance. could it be robbing at this time of year. am about to put my entrance block back on (have a mouse guard on at the moment) and reduce the entrance to 1 bee space. should I do something else, or have I got it wrong
Help
Rosie

I think you have it right ?
Are you able to follow the invaders ?
Was it a "weak" colony ?

 

[Rosie gill]

its a new colony built up from two smaller colonies. so not particularly strong, should I do anything else or is all lost!!

 

[Gribbee]

At this time of year I would block the entrance totally for a month, that way the robbers can't get at it and hopefully the weather will have cooled enough to stop further robbing.
Then fingers crossed that it has not been robbed out too much.

 

[Rosie gill]

shall I do that now, even though some of my bees may be out?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Mr Brightside here. It sounds like robbing, but MIGHT be drone ejection (if tousling bees are alive) or even dead-worker clearance if they are dead on closer inspection. (I have a layer of dead workers on the floor)

 

[Rosie gill]

there are lots of dead bees on the ground, cant see anymore tussling around the hives. what should I do!!!

 

[Gribbee]

Mr Brightside here. It sounds like robbing, but MIGHT be drone ejection (if tousling bees are alive) or even dead-worker clearance if they are dead on closer inspection. (I have a layer of dead workers on the floor)

Yup, I agree with all that but if it is robbing the colony will be lost (if not already)
I would close up for now, the bees will resume throwing out the dead on nice days once the hive is re opened.

 

[Rosie gill]

tis done, quite a few now hanging around with pollen!
Thanks Guys, hope it will be ok,

 

[Norfolk]

tis done, quite a few now hanging around with pollen!
Thanks Guys, hope it will be ok,

If there are no invaders in the immediate area you could open up for a few minutes and let them back in and then pop back before evening for another gate opening session.

Wear your veil just in case !!

 

[Rosie gill]

thanks
will do, feel really guilty watching them hanging around

 

[Norfolk]

thanks
will do, feel really guilty watching them hanging around

I hate to admit it on here but I feel a little awful when I squash one.

 

[VEG]

Have the bees been stuck in the hive over the last few days due to it being cold?
If so then they may just be having a clean up inside the hive. If robbing is occurring you should be able to tell by the way the robbing bees are trying to get in.
I would not block it up for a month, reduce the entrance by all means. The bees are still rearing brood in there and will need the pollen that the bees are still trying to bring in.
You could try the pane of glass propped over the front of the hive. Your bees will find their way in but robbing bees have difficulty for some reason.

If you are unsure what robbing looks like have a look on u tube

 

[Teemore]

What Veg said.

The bees milling around outside the front of your hive could be young bees beginning to orientate on the hive and the tussling you are seeing could simply be the congestion caused by workers trying to push through the mouse guard.

Completely closing in a colony of bees for a month during what is still mild weather is likely to do more harm than good.

 

[Rosie gill]

thanks everyone, ive left a small opening to allow some of them in and out. We're going to get a cold snap again so I hope it settles. there are so many dead bees outside and there was definitely wrestling outside the hive, with bees attacking each other! It seems to have settled now, the temp is dropping.
Don't know what to think (welcome to beekeeping eh?)
Could it be a bit of attempted robbing along with a clean up after a cold snap?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I would just reduce the entrance.
It's likely that this might be just a clear out of old bees as you don't mention frantic zig zagging of robber bees trying to gain entrance.
Robber bees, full of stolen honey also zoom straight out of the hive at speed.....rather like home bees during a flow.
Storch mentions this.
"At The Hive Entrance" is a really good read and available as a download somewhere.

 

[itma]

Have the bees been stuck in the hive over the last few days due to it being cold?
If so then they may just be having a clean up inside the hive. If robbing is occurring you should be able to tell by the way the robbing bees are trying to get in.
I would not block it up for a month, reduce the entrance by all means. ...

Reduce the entrance, don't block at this point. (Certainly not while foragers would be out. If it ever comes to it, do it in the evening.)

A lot of bees die every day at this time of year, and when they get the chance of a clear out, there will be an obvious collection of dead bees outside the entrance.

Check the remaining stores (heft or weigh - I wouldn't open up to do it unless there was a very nice day) if they are light, order in a 12.5 kg pack of Bakers white Fondant (about £15).

Don't Panic!

 

[pargyle]

"At The Hive Entrance" is a really good read and available as a download somewhere.

http://www.------------/library/gen...eping_books_articles/At the Hive Entrance.pdf

Insert biobees for the free download.

It really is a very valuable little book and worth keeping to hand.

 

[Norfolk]

http://www.------------/library/gen...eping_books_articles/At the Hive Entrance.pdf

Insert biobees for the free download.

It really is a very valuable little book and worth keeping to hand.

.com

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

If it helps, as I suspected, my mortuary bees had a busy day today.