Robbing is best explained this way, “the act of one hive stealing food stores from a neighboring hive.” There are several reasons for this robbing activity.
Hive management is one of the primary reasons for this activity. When the beekeeper takes too long performing a hive inspection leaving the hive combs exposed. Once bees zero in on a sweet smell, it is their nature to investigate. If they can secure some of that sweet food and return to their hive, they will inform other bees of this find. Before long there will be hundreds of these robbers attacking the food stores.
When a hive is queen-less, there is no queen pheromone present which demoralizes that colony. This is an open invitation to bees from the area that food stores could be available. It doesn’t take long for other hives to be alerted, and robbing begins.
Robbing is at its worst when there are no food stores for the bees to forage on. The bees will attack a weak hive and completely decimate it. There usually isn’t a bee or queen left after the robbing is over. Any weak hive in the apiary is subject to being robbed. Diseases can be spread from this robbing activity as well.
There are several ridicules methods to stop the robbing of a hive. Some authors suggest closing the hive entrance by stuffing grass inside. Guess what? The robber bees caught inside will go back to their hive when the grass is removed. Then the robbing activity will begin again. Then there’s the method of leaning a piece of glass in front of the hive entrance. Suggesting that the robber bees can’t figure out how to enter the hive and the home bees will go around the glass.
Let’s not forget the method of sprinkling cloth with carbolic and hanging it in front of the hive entrance. I would assume it might keep the robber bees from entering, but it seems like it would also prevent the home bees from entering as well. If the home bees do go around the glass, I think the robber bees will follow them.
I like to simplify my methods (of course). Depending on how many bees with a queen are left inside, I would pick the hive up and move it a couple miles away. The robber bees inside not knowing where they are will stay with that hive. When the population builds back up again, you can bring the hive back home. Enjoy your bees!
This article was written by Dennis Brown, a veteran beekeeper from Bryan, Texas (U.S.A.), with over 50 years of beekeeping experience since beginning in 1964. At one time, he managed 250 hives, raised his own queens, and performed all the duties of a commercial beekeeper. Dennis adapted or completely discarded many traditional beekeeping management practices found in books. Throughout his years with bees, he never introduced chemicals into his hives. Years ago, he started a “Survival of the Fittest” program that eliminated the need for chemicals. Dennis was a very successful beekeeper and enjoyed every minute of it. While there is much more to share about his beekeeping journey than space allows, his books capture the many changes and insights he developed over his career.
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