Bees are thieves! If one hive has food, bees from another hive will come and rob it. To prevent this, beekeepers use robber screens: Hive robber screen ( photo / image / picture from marlingardener's Garden ) My husband made robber screens from hardware cloth and scrap lumber. There is a small gap at the top between the screen and the hive wall so the resident bees can get out and return. Robber bees from another hive don't know how to get in, and theft is prevented. If you look closely, you will see a roll of chicken wire in front of the hive. This prevents skunks from eating our bees. To get at the bees over the wire, the skunk has to stand up, exposing his tender tummy to bee stings. He gets discouraged, fast!
Very interesting! But I don't understand... if the bees that live there can come and go... Can't the Robbers just follow them through the opening?
Jane, When I have a skunk problem, I take a piece of lath (an old or new wooden yardstick would work well,also) and put staples from a staple gun through it, so the staples are exposed on the back side and lay it so the staple stick up , right on the bottom board in front of the hive opening. It works very well. The lath is cut just wide enough to wedge in so I don't have to fiddle around trying to secure it down. That way the skunk can't pat the bottom board or roll the bees to eat them. Cheryl, the bees orient themselves to the opening from the inside of the hive, robber bees can't do this because they are trying to come in and mostly can't figure it. Also, the opening is reduced so the guard bees have a smaller area to guard. making it easier for them to keep the robbers from entering.
Carolyn, couldn't have explained it better myself! Actually, I couldn't have explained it--would have had to wait for my husband to get home and explain it to me so I could pass it on. I like the lath idea--sort of like those carpet tack strips for wall-to-wall carpeting. I'll ask my husband if he wants to try it--sure would make mowing in front of the hives easier!
Jane!!! that is exactly right, and would even be simpler to use. I never thought of that but it would be easier and more convenient!!!
Fascinating stuff. I really like these discussions though I don't have anything to contribute. Glad I can evesdrop.
Interesting, I never knew about robber bees, I figured bees were honest, hard working and the guards kept the ants and other unwanted insects out. Jerry
Jerry, ants are the bees friends, they secrete formic acid which in return helps keep the mites off the bees. So when i have a colony move into the outer cover of the hive, I leave them alone. Otherwise a bee keeper can use commercially produced formic acid in the hives to help control or get rid of the mites. I haven't had a hive die off that ants in it. They die off because they have mites on the bees or in their tracheae's. Now of course, I don't have fire ants in my area so other's may want to rethink letting the coexistence go on, if that could be a problem.
