Tara.F Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Hi, my bee colony (in a national hive) are being attacked by robber bees. It's like a war zone with huge numbers of bees flying, fighting and zigzagging and the noise is awful....the loud, continuous, alarmed buzzing coming from within the hive is dreadful to hear. I found this awful scene when I went to replenish their syrup today. The bees were very aggressive so I came away and returned with my husband just as night fell. We managed to refill the feeder (rapid feeder on the crownboard) and put a hastily made restricted entrance bar in, hopefully giving the defender bees more of a chance. As soon as I approached the hive the alarmed buzzing began again so at least I know a fair number of my bees remain. We couldn't find any dead bee bodies at the entrance so perhaps I caught it in time. The entrance bar (hubby made on the quick) has two round holes of 7mm. The books say bee space is 6.35mm but these holes look tiny. Have we done the right thing? Will my bees still be able to get in and out? Any advice gratefully appreciated please, Tara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 18, 2010 Share Posted September 18, 2010 Will my bees still be able to get in and out? Very simple; you will need to check in the morning. Never feed during the day. Precisely to avoid setting up robbing. If any syrup has been spilt, that too will be likely to cause trouble. Is this colony weak? Not taking immediate action will have exacerbated the robbing. Is this a rapid feeder or a contact feeder? RAB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted September 18, 2010 Author Share Posted September 18, 2010 Hi, thanks for replying. I will check first thing. I am using a rapid feeder, lidded, on top of the crown board with an empty super as an 'eke' . I'm pretty sure the roof is beesafe and access to the syrup is only possible from inside the hive. Yes, I know you're right...I should have acted more quickly. I first found the problem at about three thirty pm and not knowing what to do, rushed home to call the apiarist at the local bee club (who, as luck would have it, was out). I bought this colony in July and they were then five full frames of bees. I commenced feeding at once. There has been a goodly number of eggs and brood at every hive inspection, along with an increasing hoard of pollen and of course, honey from the syrup. They have fully drawn and filled a further four frames. So, (and as I'm sure you you've guessed I'm certainly no expert) I feel that my colony are not the strongest but were doing okay. Also, I should have mentioned...I put apiguard in on Wednesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 If there are no dead bees in evidence it might just be the apiguard. AND yes, don't feed in the day when bees are flying. I top my feeders up early in the morning when I let the chooks out. I closed my entrances down by pushing sponge in the entrance block leaving only a bee space or two when the wasps were bad. Hope all's OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted September 19, 2010 Author Share Posted September 19, 2010 Hi, thanks for replying, I've been up to check this morning and the scene is very different. There is no angry buzzing for a start (hope that's a good sign!). There is a cluster of bees at the hive entrance in a tight ball about tennis ball size. Some bees returning laden with pollen disappeared into the cluster but I couldn't see if they made it into the hole okay. There are just the usual number of flying bees (there were thousands yesterday) and no bees crawling on the roof and back of the hive trying to get in. There was still a little bit of argy bargy, bees with their bums up in the air being challenged. There are the usual half a dozen wasps hovering close to the ground. The chap from the bee club got back to me and advised me not to touch the hive before nightfall so I must wait til then to find out if the colony and honey inside are okay. Is it possible that my colony defended itself and the invaders simply gave up? Tara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 I used apilife var on my boxes and the strongest one reacted quite violently. On the first day of each application they were all over the front of the hive. I could hear them fanning like mad on the floor and you could smell the thymol ten feet away. On one day it rained and they still didn't go in getting wet and torpid and falling on the ground. I rescued as many as I could, put them in a box in my utility room overnight with some sugar and opened up the floor of the hive just for a day or so. It might still be the thymol. I guess you'll know this afternoon. I wouldn't open the hive at night, you're likely to get seriously bombed I would have thought, but I may be wrong Let us know what happens and best of luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted September 19, 2010 Author Share Posted September 19, 2010 Well, I've just been up and fed them. I went at dusk to find agitated bees, lots flying, dive bombing me and crawling all over the hive. Waited an hour until it was pitch black (my hive is in a clearing in the woods) and tried again. This time there just a few, dopey bees clinging to the outside. There is some broken comb crumbs on the floor beneath the entrance. The bees are not taking the syrup though....the level in the rapid feeder has gone down only a centimetre since yesterday! Before this crisis they were taking a litre and a half a day, two rapid feeders worth. So now I think they've been hit with a double wammy. They probably hate the thymol, the dopey bees outside the hive are probably from my colony just trying to avoid the fumes. But now they're being robbed as well. I'm not confident now that they'll make it through the winter. I'm feeling a bit gutted to tell the truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Awful Did you get a look in the brood box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted September 19, 2010 Author Share Posted September 19, 2010 no, my local apiarist chap suggested I give them a break for a few days to settle down before lifting the crownboard (although this was when everything looked more positive earlier today). He has offered to come over and inspect it with me when I do though which is very good of him. He feels I should continue feeding under cover of darkness (doesn't know yet that they aren't taking the syrup) and inspect as usual ie, at nine day intervals. He was the instructor on my BBKA beginners course and has more than fifty colonies of his own so I guess he should know! I'll e-mail him tomorrow Thank you so much for your support! I'll post any developments, Thank you, Tara x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Ooooops sorry, I thought you were going to open up in the dark. (It has been known ) I hope everything is OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexgary Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 no, my local apiarist chap suggested I give them a break for a few days to settle down before lifting the crownboard (although this was when everything looked more positive earlier today). He has offered to come over and inspect it with me when I do though which is very good of him. He feels I should continue feeding under cover of darkness (doesn't know yet that they aren't taking the syrup) and inspect as usual ie, at nine day intervals. He was the instructor on my BBKA beginners course and has more than fifty colonies of his own so I guess he should know! I'll e-mail him tomorrow Thank you so much for your support! I'll post any developments, Thank you, Tara x Hey Tara, no advice, except to say - I'm thinking of you... If my girls are anything to go by (also had them since July) they will be fine - they seem to like giving me heart attacks - then when I am worried sick they go back to normal. The latest thing is I have 1000 bees clinging to the bottom of the mesh floor from the outside - Queen is in the hive, thymol off so I can't figure out why... so tomorrow 'A' level beekeeping for me - I am going to shake them off into a tuppaware, see if they have built comb under the hive mesh floor and if it has eggs in - then, apparently there could be a sister-queen. if there is, I'm going to have to try and find her... these 1000 stayed out all night last night, I was worried sick. Anyway, keep us updated - you're not alone! Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 he he! thanks for that Gary! bet you weren't expecting to multiply your colony so soon! and yes, it really is a help to know there people out there offering moral support and guidance! Our local bee club don't give you a 'mentor'. You can go to the weekly meets for advice and the apiarist is very helpful but I don't like to bother him too often if you know what I mean. I feel less foolish asking on here! I hope you get your colony sorted, at least it sounds like you have a definite plan of action. Good luck, Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essexgary Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 he he! thanks for that Gary!bet you weren't expecting to multiply your colony so soon! and yes, it really is a help to know there people out there offering moral support and guidance! Our local bee club don't give you a 'mentor'. You can go to the weekly meets for advice and the apiarist is very helpful but I don't like to bother him too often if you know what I mean. I feel less foolish asking on here! I hope you get your colony sorted, at least it sounds like you have a definite plan of action. Good luck, Tara This will make you feel better Tara... so today at work, I didn't concentrate on a thing - spent the whole day planning, worrying, thinking about the horror-movie that was awaiting me when I brushed 1000 bees off the bottom of the beehaus into a tupperware, trying to find a queen that may or not be there...etc etc, 'A' level beekeeping... got home, had a look under the hive - 30 bees. No comb, no 2nd queen, no nothing. They have all gone back inside. My girls.. honestly, they may not have read the "beekeeping for beginners" book, but they certainly HAVE read "how to give Gary a nervous breakdown" book. I bet they are in the beehaus now crying with laughter. So like one of the local bee-experts I have been driving nuts over the past 2 days said... sometimes they just do things like this... let me now how things are going your end.. Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 update time! I went up there again this morning, there were a hundred or so very dopey bees on the hive roof (probably avoiding the apigard fumes) but other than that all was quiet so I risked a proper hive inspection. There were quite a lot of dead bees on the hive floor and a few holes in the comb but other than that the colony is in pretty good shape! They have six heavy frames of syrup/honey. A little brood. The remaining frames part filled with honey and pollen, mainly uncapped. They aren't taking the syrup but amazingly for this late in the year, they are still working hard to draw the last frame! So, all in all, not as bad as I expected. They must have defended themselves well and I must have put the restricted entrance in just in the nick of time! Phew! I don't remember getting this stressed over my hens....not even sure it was this bad when I had my kids!!! Thanks again folks, Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Wonderful news My wasp traps are catching hundreds and I've just found a nest under the eaves of the house some 100 metres from the hives so will get hubby to climb up and zap them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
