BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM.

swarm being robbed?

(1/3) > >>

phill:
Last week I captured a good-sized swarm. I brought them home and set them up next to my own hives. So far, so good.

Yesterday I noticed a lot of activity at that new hive. It sure looked like robbing: more frantic and less symmetrical than orientation flights; also a lot of bees going under the (screened) bottom board. So I put on a robbing screen and reduced the entrance. But I'm still seeing more activity today.

I don't get it. First, the swarm was big enough so that they should be able to defend themselves. But beyond that, they've only been in the hive for a week; they don't have honey stores worth robbing. My other hives have decent stores-- better targets for robbers, I'd think-- and there's enough foraging now so that there's no death.

Can anyone explain this to me?

Ben Framed:

--- Quote from: phill on May 16, 2022, 06:02:15 pm ---Last week I captured a good-sized swarm. I brought them home and set them up next to my own hives. So far, so good.

Yesterday I noticed a lot of activity at that new hive. It sure looked like robbing: more frantic and less symmetrical than orientation flights; also a lot of bees going under the (screened) bottom board. So I put on a robbing screen and reduced the entrance. But I'm still seeing more activity today.

I don't get it. First, the swarm was big enough so that they should be able to defend themselves. But beyond that, they've only been in the hive for a week; they don't have honey stores worth robbing. My other hives have decent stores-- better targets for robbers, I'd think-- and there's enough foraging now so that there's no death.

Can anyone explain this to me?

--- End quote ---


Hi phill, it could be robbing but I rather doubt it. This time of year in your area, should be a time of abundance of both Nectar and Pollen. Other hives should be too busy to be in a robbing mood. Since the swarm you described was a nice size swarm, I will take a guess and say your bees are doing their job. Considering a week has passed, they should have had plenty comb drawn to justify busy, activity of bringing in both Nectar and Pollen. Have you noticed pollen on the bees legs as they are coming in?

Phillip

phill:
Thanks, Ben. That makes sense. All my hives are packing in pollen. When I took off the robbing screen, things calmed down a bit. Still a lot of extra activity, but I suppose the bees know what they're doing.

Ben Framed:
Your welcome Phill. Wishing you the best.

Phillip

Bob Wilson:
If there was a lot of unusual activity and flying, I wonder if the big swarm had more than one queen, and one was departing.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page