stopping robbing

[johna]

How do we stop persistant robbers.I've shut up the entrances to about 1/2 inch sprayed the little blighters with water and still they persist. The bees are coming from a let-alone neibours bees about 3/4 mile away.Other than setting fire to his hives I'm looking for some suggestions.I can't move my two colonies away from their present location.

 

[Tom Bick]

Have just thought of this I may be going mad but.

Assuming its one hive with the problem close them in for a couple of days and move the hive a few feet.

On the original site dummy hive with say Porter Bee escape arrangement at the entrance bees go in and stay in.

After that its up to you what you do with the bees providing it works.

 

[oliver90owner]

Go along and feed his bees?

Unite your two colonies so they are strong enough to resist these unwanted visitors.

Stop spilling feed around the apiary.

the first problem to solve is to determine why they are robbing or being robbed.

The above are suggestions, not knowing any further details.

RAB

 

[johna]

Go along and feed his bees?

Unite your two colonies so they are strong enough to resist these unwanted visitors.

Stop spilling feed around the apiary.

.



RAB

Want to get them thro' the winter not unite.
I certainly haven't and don't spill feed around my apiaries.

I suspect my neibours bees are starving.
I've sealed all around both hives with tape - so no crevices.
Gave the robbers a REALLY good soaking this morning ,this seems to temporilly slow them down.

No problems with my other colonies.

 

[oliver90owner]

Want to get them thro' the winter not unite.

So they are weak colonies?

temporilly

I would think it will only be temporary respite. Perhaps you need to leave a garden sprinkler on during the daytime.

As I don't totally comprehend your comment of: "I can't move my two colonies away from their present location." another suggestion might be to exchange them for two stronger colonies?

RAB

 

[OXFORDBEE]

John Powell years ago mentioned the use of a weak dettol spray to prevent robbing. If you spray it on the bees at the entrance.

Bees hate dettol and the theory is that robbers smell of dettol when they get home, arn't recognised and get bumped off by the guard bees.

The bees in the hive being robbed have to live with it...

I've never tried this method so can't comment on how effective it is.

Good luck!

 

[johna]

Both colonies are on 8 frames of brood -so not so small.I think the sheer volume of robbers is the problem however persistant water spraying is calming things down.

 

[barratt_sab]

We have, on one occasion, resorted to the “wet sheet over the whole hive” trick advocated by David Cramp. This seemed to reduce the frenzy a bit.

You are left with the problem of what to do after 24 hours when you’ve got to remove the sheet (we lent Perspex against the hive, with some foliage, to disguise the entrance, which seemed to sort things out).

We managed to intervene early on in the process, which may well have meant that these tricks were more effective.

 

[oliver90owner]

So, a large bottle of dettol metered into the garden sprinkler feed line?

RAB

 

[Skyhook]

Lot of threads on this- try the search box. One of the completest was 'its official' from kazmcc (see link)


http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6603&highlight=wasps

Good luck!

 

[milkermel]

We have, on one occasion, resorted to the “wet sheet over the whole hive” trick advocated by David Cramp. This seemed to reduce the frenzy a bit.

You are left with the problem of what to do after 24 hours when you’ve got to remove the sheet (we lent Perspex against the hive, with some foliage, to disguise the entrance, which seemed to sort things out).

We managed to intervene early on in the process, which may well have meant that these tricks were more effective.

did the glass trick last year on a swarm covering 5 frames that appeared in october it was sucessful in detering the wasps dont know if it will with bees, theory was to put the glass across during the night when bees are in bed in morning they learn quickly how to fly out and around barricade but wasps have problems finding way in. might be worth a go with robbers. Could you maybe not speak to the other beek and explain that his bees are robbing and that it is all well and good him not doing much with his bees, however not fair if he expects your bees to feed his!! I had to have a similar discussion with someone at the pub the other day who bought bees and lets them do their own thing - hasnt been on courses, supprised that he hasnt got honey this year etc etc, he also didnt see any need to treat bees for varroa as he only had 1 or 2 mites drop in a day. had to explain to him that maybe if he treated he might find a few more, remember i was chuffed with small mite drop last year, but as soon as i treated i was getting over 100 a day drop. And as you have pointed out it isnt fair on other bee in area

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Lot of threads on this- try the search box. One of the completest was 'its official' from kazmcc (see link)


http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6603&highlight=wasps

Good luck!

Trouble is most of that thread (and others like it) referred to various ways of trapping wasps - bees being more fussy about what they land on/in to eat.

Aside from various ways of narrowing the entrance its difficult to think of much on that thread that is relevant to robber bees