Nectar passed through SBB with robber screen on????

[tillie]

With the robber screen on both hives, the robbing has stopped.  The bees have a 1/2 inch opening completely across the width of the hive at the top of the robber screen.  Bees with pollen are entering there.

I noticed a lot of bees flying under the hives and found by sticking my camera under and taking a picture that the foraging bees are delivering nectar to the house bees through the SBB.

Should I take the robber screens off?  Will this mean that if Varroa is falling through the SBB, they will simply land on new bees below the screen?  Will the robber screens now impair the functioning of my hives?

Here are pictures of them feeding each other under the hive:

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6269/2875/640/DSC01147.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6269/2875/640/DSC01148.jpg

What should I do?

Linda T with continuing confusion in Atlanta

[Robo]

I find it hard to believe they are passing nectar thru the SBB.  It is more likely that these bees are confused by your robber screen and are just looking for an entrance into the hive and can see/sense the colony better thru the SBB than the robber screen.  Are you positive they where being robbed and just not having a lot of activity.  From your blog it appears that these hives should be more that strong enough to defend themselves.  I would remove the robber screens and only use them on weak hives.

[Joe]

I agree with Robo on this one.  It looks like there are quite a few drones down there as well as workers, I wouldn't be expecting them to be returning to the hive with nectar.

[Jon McFadden]

One of the other guys with SBB's on his hives had the same problem. I had him make a 3/4" x 3/8" opening to encourage the bees to go inside. I didn't hear anything back from him, so since I have talked to him since, I would assume that cured the problem.
I now recommend an opening there for the virgin queen to get back in the hive.
I also recommend robber screens be left on anytine there is a possibilty of robbing happening. I have seen where full scale robbing affects all the hives. With the screens, it's a win/win situation, without, you might be ok. To me there isn't a downside as long as you make the opening for the queen and, in this case, to keep them off the SBB.
One of the bee supply houses used to sell these screens as "Moving Screens" if you want to buy them.