ROBBING IN HONEY BEES

INTRODUCTION

 When we think of the hard-working honey

bees, its hard to imagine them as thieves.

 But in honeybee Robbing behavior is a part

of their colony life.

 Acquiring enough food to survive the winter

is the annual goal of bees and they will get

that food in any way possible.  

 What is robbing?
 Beekeepers use the term Robbing to mean the taking of honey

stores from one hive by either the members of another hive, or

other bees and wasps.

 The robbing bees open capped cells, fill their

honey stomachs, and carry the goods back

home.

 Strong colonies with the largest stores are the

most apt to prey upon weaker colonies.

 The Italian bee has been identified with an especially
strong tendency to rob.
 Robbing occurs much more in managed colonies that it
does in the wild.
 Wild colonies are usually strong, so are able to defend
themselves.
 They select a home with an entrance small enough to
defend, if not, they soon propolise it up to reduce it.
 Late summer or early
fall

Little nectar in the

field
Dearth conditions

When does robbing

occur?
Happens
one apiary or hives of
different apiaries.
Weaker hive

Population is low in
number
 Why does robbing occur?

Exposure of stores of Honey

Cessation of a source of supply of nectar

Poorly guarded stores

Honey or syrup spilt around the apiary

Our modern bee yard are set up with many

colonies close together
 How we can recognize robbing?

Fighting

Fights happening on the

 Landing board
 On the ground at the front of the hive
 Bees hanging on the legs of
intruder bees to remove them.
 Dead bees

Because of fighting we can find dead bees lying on the

 Landing board
 On the ground in front of the hive.
 Another entrance

 Homebees land on the periphery of the entrance then

walk in.
 Robberbees are not landing on the periphery.
 Examining all the cracks and seams in a hive and even
enter at the back and sides.
 Wax Cappings

 Can see wax cappings on the Landing Board

 Robbers don't take their time to nicely uncap the honey
stores as they are in a hurry to get out before being caught.
 Clustered Feeding

 Robberbees are usually found feeding in cluter

at one spot in the comb.
 Wasp

 Robbing bees are often accompanied by wasps common

wasp or "yellow jackets“.
 They are attracted to the dead bees as well as the honey.
OTHER SIGNS

 Some of the bees in the fray may appear shiny and black.

 This appearance is created when the bees lose their hair

while fighting.

 Robbing bees never carry pollen on their legs.

 Robbing bees often sway from side to side like wasps,

waiting for an opportunity to enter the target hive.

 During robbing,the guards unusually active, challenging
all who seek entrance.
 In daytime, the home bees leave the hive empty and
return
loaded, whereas the robber bee approaches the hive
empty and leaves full.
 As robbers are loaded with honey, when they leave the
target hive, they often crawl up the wall before they fly
away they dip toward the ground as they take off.
REFERENCE

 Honeybee Suite – A Better way to Bee

 "Manual of Beekeeping“ – David A .Cushman

 BEES ROBBING A HIVE - BACKYARDHIVE