How to stop the robbing

Posted by Kristen Morse on May 23, 2011 at 5:28am

Hi there, one of my 2 home based hives has died and is now being robbed out by someone else's bees. I have closed up the entrance and hopefully they will stop and go home. They have been at it for a couple of days and today was the first time I was able to get in there for a look. It is empty of all stores and no colony is in evidence. Last week I still had a small colony.

Both these hives were hit quite heavily with mite in late summer and we have been treating with Bayvarol. The remaining colony is small but seems to be holding its own and had a queen in evidece today when I looked. It is beside the robbed out one. I have closed down the entrance to only a couple of centimeters to slow down the invaders should they switch their attention to this hive with the other one closed. Any suggestions as to how to deter another lot of robbing welcome. Thanks.

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Replies

  • rosie walford July 14, 2011 at 3:49pm
    oh dear, i know how that feels. same happened to me last week. I decided to harvest one super and leave the other to the robbers, as the honey is at least going to feed some hungry hive, if not my bees. The more wellfed bees out there, the better i decided, once i managed to quiet my outrage and suspend my sense of care for MY bees and their honey.
  • Kristen Morse July 7, 2011 at 5:15pm
    Thanks Kali, I did move the remaining colony but it too expired - was down to a hand full of bees. So no bees until I can get more in Spring. 18months of happy beekeeping at an end. Still, moving soon to a rural property so that makes it easier to shift with no angry buzzy things left I suppose. Was told they had PMS - and no I don't means THAT PMS ;-) but Parasitic Mite Syndrome ( although given they are all girls the initials did seem appropriate!) . So combination of that and robbing did them in. Not the only one this is happening too locally I gather from feedback at the Association meetings.
  • Kali May 23, 2011 at 8:45am
    The only way to stop the robbing when your hive is so weak would be to transport the hive temporarily to a new site, which would have to be over 5km away to prevent your bees from returning to the old site, the robbers will be very persistent otherwise and shutting your bees in would not be good for them in the long run. From experience I know what you are going through so my sympathies.
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