It'south something all beekeepers accept to deal with at ane time or another – robber bees.  Left unattended, robbing can be a big problem for colonies. Using a robber bees screen is a great style to foreclose robbing from starting in the first place.

What Are Robber Bees?

Robber bees are bees that enter a different colony with the intention to steal their honey.  These are forager bees that simply want to collect food to bring back to their ain colony.

Since robbing isn't an easy task, robbers volition target a weaker colony to steal from.  To enter the hive she must first fight the baby-sit bees at the entrance.  And then she proceeds to find capped love cells.  She rips open the cappings and sucks up the beloved with her proboscis.  The stolen beloved is stored in her love stomach earlier she returns to her own hive.

The problem with this is that one time she is able to successfully rob another colony, she volition recruit other bees to join her.  Since the bees in the hive existence robbed will fight all robbers, this situation tin hateful death to a lot of bees.  It is hard for a weaker colony to fight against many robbers.

Why practice Bees Rob?

Robber bees are foragers, and so to them, they are only doing their chore. It is their chore to go out and collect equally much resources as they can. That includes pollen, nectar, propolis, water, and in this instance, honey.  Robbing behaviour normally happens during late summer and early autumn, when it gets harder to notice nectar.

How to Forbid Robber Bees

The key to dealing with robber bees is prevention.  It can be very difficult to stop robbers once they take started, so it's best to try your all-time to prevent information technology from happening at all.  The best way to forbid robber bees is to make information technology difficult for them to make it.

Robbers will enter the hive through any means possible, so that ways that modest cracks or holes in the hive are highly susceptible to robbers bees.  Inspect your hive from time to time and quickly repair or close up whatsoever damaged parts.

A robber bees screen is highly effective for both preventing and stopping robber bees.  Robber bees screens are cheap and piece of cake to install.

Robber Bees Screen

About robbers volition attempt to enter the hive through the archway. That'due south considering the entrance is an opening in which they can smell honey.  A robber bees screen works by screening off the entrance to foreclose robbers from inbound.  Meanwhile, the bees that belong to the hive enter and leave the hive through a carve up, hidden entrance.

How to Utilise a Robber Bees Screen

Beginning, brand certain that you purchase the correct screen for your hive. Different sizes of robber bees screens may fit just eight, 10, or nuc hives.  Then you tin attach the screen to the entrance of your beehive.  Robber bees screens usually include screws or nails to mountain the screen to the hive.  Subsequently that, you are good to go.

Installing a robber bees screen is quick and simple.  Your bees will now have to notice the alternating entrance to the hive, simply they will figure information technology out in a solar day or and so. Robber screens usually have 2 openings that you tin can open and shut.  Continue one side open up at beginning, and if the robbers are able to effigy it out, open the other side to confuse them all over over again.

When to Install a Robber Bees Screen

Y'all should install a screen earlier, rather than afterwards.  With new or minor colonies, some beekeepers like to install their screens from mean solar day ane.  That's a smart movement because that those hives are susceptible to robbing.  Nucs or captured swarms should especially brand apply of a robber screen.

Another proficient fourth dimension to install a robber screen is earlier a honey harvest.  The aroma of the honey can attract robbers and start a robbing spree.

Robbing is more likely to occur during a nectar dearth, and then if there is a shortage of nectar producing flowers in your area you should install a robber bees screen.  Leave the screen on until autumn, or when the conditions gets cold enough to keep the bees inside the hive.

Drifting

Likewise preventing robbers, it's good to use a screen to forbid drifting.  Drifting is when a bee mistakenly enters the wrong hive.  This is more common when you lot have lots of beehives all lined upward together.  Some drifting usually isn't a large bargain, but the problem is when the bee is conveying varroa mites.  That one drifting bee could crusade an infestation.  Therefore, using a screen is as well helpful for controlling mites in your hive.

Where to Go a Robber Bees Screen

Robber bees screens tin can be bought online. I like this ane from Betterbee. Some other pick is to brand your own robber screen. It's pretty simple to brand and y'all don't need a lot of materials. Run into the video below for how to make a DIY robber screen.

Summary

Robber bees steal honey from another colony.  A good way to prevent robbers is to utilize a robber bees screen.  The screen blocks off the principal entrance, while the bees belonging to that hive enter through a dissimilar, hidden archway.