serious robbing issues.

[steve bee d]

Hi, I need some advice here.
Had 8 full hives and 4 nucs. Went to apiary yesterday 2 nucs totally robbed out other 2 nucs under siege but still strong. So have moved 2 strong nucs to my garden placed robbed out nucs in there place so hopefully robbers think gravy train is over and give up and forage naturally on ivy. All 8 colonys are evenly sized and with reduced entrances so will keep an eye on that situation. The nucs in my garden however, are still being robbed out. Think they have given up. I know of at least 6 colony's within stones throw. was planning to feed them and confine them for a few days so they could rally round boost morale and fend of robbers. They are in poly nucs so have internal feeder, good ventilation, and are still of a good strength. Due to feed all colony's this week so would like to resolve this issue first. Look forward to your suggestions, I think.

 

[justme]

Your suggestion of feeding (if needed at the mo)and confining sounds right. A piece of glass over the entrance, just allowing bees around/behind it may slow the wasps down when you reopen it (assume wasps?) Entrance 1 bee space. I allow grass and stuff to grow up in front of the hive (not bothered about looking tidy) and seem, so far to have survived wasp attacks so far this year. Still had 1 swarm robbed out by remains of yellow colony (requeened but still had yellow foragers) with no glass/grass and 2 bee entrance. Hadn't seen many wasps so didnt get round to doing as I've suggested above.

 

[steve bee d]

Bees are the culprits here at my garden not seen many wasps. Will probably feed in early morning and confine for a few days and assess situation then. Would have feed tonight but chucking it down. Robbers seem determined and plentiful.

 

[susbees]

All 8 colonys are evenly sized and with reduced entrances

But how much in the way of stores is in them?

 

[steve bee d]

was planning to feed the 2 nucs in question to boost morale. Stores are ok at moment but not enough to over winter. The 8 full colonys have good stores but would rather not have to much ivy as have had issues with granulation before. Thought some syrup would help this.

 

[mbc]

One way of giving small colonies a respite is to reduce the entrance to a single bee way, this can be achieved by fixing a cone escape (simular to the ones on wbc roofs) over the entrance. "Home" bees will quickly get used to it while "away" bees are unlikely to figure it out.

 

[tkwinston4]

A piece of glass over the entrance, just allowing bees around/behind it may slow the wasps down.

This unfortunately did not work for me. I watched the wasps navigating their way around it. Suspect they were following the bees. Lost the colony unfortunately

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I would close up for 3 days and feed them initially. Then stop before you open them up so there's no loose syrup about.

I have a couple of mini-nucs which have been robbed - by bees. I have been letting them out towards dusk so they can empty themselves and then I close up after dark. This allows them to nip out for 'a quick one' but not allow robbing.

You're right about them giving up. I moved them to my out aipary and they still let robbers in!

 

[Headnavigator]

Does anyone have any knowledge about relative robbing frequency in docile as opposed to more aggressive bees. In my (very limited) experience the hives that have been robbed have particularly gentle and easy to handle bees. Does their docility extend to being nice to robbers also?
And I was so pleased that I haven't had a single sting this year, or ping, or follow. Perhaps I have had it too easy at the bees expense.