Robber Bees

[Andersen]

I had a hive die over the winter and other bees have been robbing the honey. Now I have put a nuc box of 5 frames of bees into that hive. I should have moved hive but didn't. I have reduce the size of the entrance by about 75%. Do you think the hive will be able to defend itself against the robber bees?

[bill]

I am a new beekeeper myself. I just wanted to tell you that I am having a robbing problem too so I will watch this post to see what they say. I brought a swarm home yesterday, and though I am glad they stayed they are robbing my nuc that I am introducing a queen to. I just now made a very limited hole in a one by two and just put an entrance only big enough for one bee, since the nuc is only nurse bees, and have not been flying hardly at all. I stood and watched and at least the robbers could not get in. If that is too small someone tell me please

[Finsky]

If robber bees can go in and out and nuc bees cannot smell the enemy, it is bad thing.

There is variations:

A)

1) You must put door 100% closed. No one come in or out.

2) When sun is setting, you open the door and you let robbers out.

3) You give some odor to nuc, that they have different odor at morning and bees can clearly differiantate the enemy.

4) Opening must be "one bee size" and ventilation must happen in some place.

5) You must follow if nuc can fend off  robbers.

6) after couple of hours robbers stop trying.

B) IF ROBBING CONTINUES

1) Take a nuc to the distance on 5 kilometers and return it after 2 days.

2) Do not feed nuc and do not get any reason to others bees to come spy the nuc.

[Michael Bush]

I often stop robbing by simply closing up the weak hive after dark for 24 hours.  The robbers give up trying to get in and look elsewhere and the weak hive get's a respite from the onslaught.  24 hours later (the next night) I open it back up.

Other things that help.  I put Vicks vapo-rub near the entrace.  Robbers find their way by smell and this is sometimes enough to confuse them.

Robber screens (also useful as skunk screens that confusethe robbers (who are going by smell but don't confuse the residents, who are traveling by memory:

http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bush/images/RobberScreenHiveSide.JPG
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bush/images/RobberScreenOutside.JPG