Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: Brian D on September 16, 2009, 08:09:14 pm
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I have two supers with honey that have been around for at least a couple years. My initial thoughts were to just get rid of them as the frames smell foul after sitting in a hive with no bees. Well I decided to let the bees from my yard or nearby rob them out and thus clean them at the same time. Problem arises when a fair amount of bees take part in the robbing but in the melee, I have hundreds of bees that are dead. I have observed several bees fighting as if defending but many others have just succumb not but 2 to 5 feet from the hive. Both odd and concerning as I have never had this happen before. Anyone want to take a stab at what I am observing yet not understanding?
I am and have been a bee keeper for close to fifteen years ... never have I noticed anything similar to this.
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Sometimes they get in a robbing frenzy and then they start to fight.
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Could a hive get robbed to death? I noticed robbing in all 3 of my hives last week. I shut the covers to leave only the front entrance and no back opening. This week, the robbing continues, so I shoved in branches as make-do entrance reducers. Two of the hives are already weak (swarmed, queenless?), but the third is strong in spite of this.
I am STILL waiting for enough time and a warm, calm day to get into those hives 1 more time before winter. I wonder what awaits me and if I will need to do emergency combines for winter.