Can any one figure out whats what with these girls?

[Anonymous]

Temp was 61F and falling fast to an over night temp of 39F Oct 12th @ 5:30pm. I had all the screen bottoms open. All the hives are getting 2:1 Sugar water mix except BM # 1 which still has a honey super on, it is the far left one. Next to it on the right is the strongest colony which has 3 deeps of honey, one of which is going to be given to my weakest hive second from the right which is only one deep, It has the upper entrance closed due to yellow jacket robbing.
I'm comfused as to just what they are doing.



BM 1 hive with the honey super, they don't appear to be caught up in the frenzy.




BL 1 is a normal 2 deep hive. I have already removed the upper entrance.


 

BL 2 is so strong that 2 weeks ago they were bearded up 2 deeps high in the front at night so I added the third deep with new foundation. they have it all drawn out and only lack 2 1/2 frames of having it full of honey.



BL 3 was the one with the drone layer and got the new Queen at the end of July or mid August.



This is BL 4 my weakest hive and like 1,2 & 3 there is a lot of bees fighting around it. I think it is worse around this one really. I installed 1' x 3/8th inch entrance reducers yesterday with mouse guards.




 :D Al

[golfpsycho]

I can't really tell that anything abnormal is going on with your colonies from your pictures.  The only clue seems to be that you said there is alot of fightig going on.  If the nectar flow has weakened or ended,  I believe one or more of your hives is in a robbing war.  They know time is getting short and start getting stores anywhere they can.  Weak colonies being robbed out near season end is a good example of how mites and foulbrood sometimes are spread.  I would take a look inside the colony that is under attack and check their stores.  Also reduce the entrance, if not close it with a screen for a day.  Hopefully, the robbers will start looking elsewhere for booty.

[Anonymous]

I installed entrance reducers sized 1" x 3/8 along with mouse guards the day after the pictures were taken.
As I said I have feeders full on all of them except BM 1 which has a super. All but the weak one has tow deeps nearly full of honey.
And Thanks for giving me some idea of what isd going on.
 :D Al

[Anonymous]

Many people don't realize it, but feeding of any kind is one of the greatest catalysts for robbing.  I believe that the frame feeders and inside super feeding were designed to reduce the robbing.   I dont' know what kind of bees you have, but Italians are notorious robbers and will effectively rob a weaker colony to death.  Open feeding doesn't seem to cause as much robbing, but your feeding everything that flys, crawls,  in area when you do it.
Also, the screen I was mentioning was not a SBB.  It was to close the hive being robbed completely up for a day.  Robbers are opportunists, and will often go away when they can't find a way in.