Urban Agriculture Resources
Robber Bees and Bee Robbing: What They Are and What They Do
Contents:
- What are robber bees?
- What is bee robbing?
- When does bee robbing occur?
- Why does bee robbing happen, and what can lead to this?
- What does bee robbing look like?
- What to do if bee robbing is occurring at your hive
- FAQs
What are robber bees?
Despite their specific nickname, robber bees are not a subspecies of bee (like a leafcutter bee or a mason bee). Robber bees are regular honeybees that invade another colony’s hive, typically because their own resources, such as honey and nectar, are lacking. Collecting honey and nectar is essential for the health of the colony, and honeybees will look for these resources wherever they can — including other hives nearby, if necessary. Robber bees aren’t trying to destroy another colony, but rather save their own from starvation.
What is bee robbing?
Bee robbing is known as the act of a colony being invaded by other bees, primarily for honey. Typically, these robber bees are experiencing a lack of resources and are searching for weakened colonies that they can steal honey from. While a strong hive might be able to defend itself against robbers, colonies that are inferior often have difficulty protecting their own resources and are subject to the entire colony being overpowered by robbers from neighboring colonies.
There are various ways to identify robbing behavior within a hive, and it is crucial that a solution be implemented to help the original colony survive this invasion.
When does bee robbing occur?
According to HoneyBeeSuite.com, bee robbing can happen at any time, but it’s common to see this type of behavior occur in late summer to early fall, and especially during a nectar dearth. A nectar dearth is a period of time when there is a shortage of nectar-producing flowers–when there is a lower amount of nectar available to bees, they will become desperate to find alternative ways to locate this sugary fluid that is released by plants and turned into honey.
Why does bee robbing happen, and what can lead to this?
Although bee robbing is commonly associated with nectar dearth, there are other factors that, when happening all at once, can lead to this frantic behavior. BeeInformed.org notes that these conditions include nectar dearth, but also “large colony populations with a high proportion of foragers, temperatures suitable for intense flight activity, and potential for some colonies to dwindle due to progression of Varroa or other stressors.”
Since robber bees are searching for honey, they will begin to visit nearby colonies and will attempt to access the inside of the hive where this resource is stored. Often, beehives will have “guards” outside of the hive on the landing board that are present to detect and ward off any unwanted visitors, but if the hive being invaded is weaker, the easier it will be for the robbers to enter. Hives that are queenless are especially weakened as they do not have any means of reproduction or protection. Once these robbers enter the hive and confirm that honey is available, they will go back to the original colony to alert the rest of the bees–and will return together in order to invade the hive and drain the weaker colony of its resources.
There have also been voices within the pollinator community that raised concerns about urban beekeeping and “colony crowding” being a factor that can lead to increased robbing, diminished honey stocks, and an overall weakening of colonies. However, during The Best Bees Company’s 10+ years of closely studying the health and behavior of honeybees, we have found that at the current density, honeybees are not correlated to colony crowding, and the additional research conducted by the scientific community also confirms that the evidence of pollinator competition is inconclusive.
What does bee robbing look like?
Bee robbing is unique behavior, and is not to be confused with normal colony activity. Beehives are operating as normal when the activity at the hive entrance is calm, and bees are contently moving in and out of the hive with pollen and nectar.
When robbing is taking place, the behavior around and at the front of the hive becomes much more frantic. Robber bees can be identified by their desperate attempts at gaining access to the hive, leading to confusion among the original colony. From there, the original colony will try to defend their hive from this invasion, while the robber bees continue to try their best to enter the hive, including searching for alternative entrances at the top or on the sides of the boxes.
Once the robber bees are inside the hive, they will begin to empty the frames of honey by removing the caps in each cell. Once this happens, the colony is weakened even further and the chances of this hive surviving without help decrease dramatically.
What to do if robbing is occurring at your hive
When you see signs of bee robbing, taking swift action is the most important next step. According to BackyardHive.com, “the time it takes for the hive to collapse once robbing starts is a very short time span, usually in a day or two the hive is unrecoverable.” That’s why taking action is so crucial!
One effective method of helping your colony protect against robbers is by installing entrance reducers at the entrance of the hive, and these can typically be made of metal, plastic, or even wood. Robber screens can be an excellent way to address robbing situations by closing the entrance completely or reducing the entrance size. Ultimately, these are placed at the entrance of the hive to help limit the amount of space that robbers can use to access the inside of the hive with a physical barrier, while still allowing for ventilation within the hive itself.
However, robber bees are often desperate to invade the hive, and certain entrance reducers can even be moved out of the way, giving the robbers ample access once again. If a mesh entrance reducer becomes ineffective, beekeepers can also install a robber screen on the front of the hive, which blocks the robbers from entering.
In order to help a robbed hive, beekeepers will often pull in resources like brood frames and nurse bees from neighboring hives. At The Best Bees Company, apiaries are an invaluable element of our beekeeping practice, as we are able to tap into stronger colonies and give excess resources to colonies in need. To learn more about why apiaries are an important part of managing and protecting beehives, read our conversation with Best Bees Apiary Manager Jordan Walker.
Above all, bee robbing can be a detrimental blow to any beehive–and beekeepers often learn of a robbing when it is too late! However, by implementing simple solutions as quickly as possible, like adding entrance reducers to your hive and helping the colony get back to reproducing and creating their own resources, you will be able to increase the chances of a positive outcome for your bees. When in doubt, contact your local beekeeping organization, or get in touch with experts at The Best Bees Company for additional information and assistance.
FAQs
Q: What is bee robbing?
A: Bee robbing is a behavior of bees that are invading another hive for resources like honey when they do not have enough of their own.
Q: When does bee robbing happen?
A: Bee robbing can technically happen at any time, but it is most common in late summer or early fall when there is a shortage of nectar-producing flowers.
Q: What does bee robbing look like?
A; Bee robbing will often look like a frenzy happening outside of a hive, with robber bees attempting to gain access to the hive and its resources. You might even see small fights break out between the original colony and the bees invading, as well as the robber bees desperately trying to fly into the hive via the entrance, sides, and top of the boxes.
Q: What should I do if I see bee robbing?
A; First, take action quickly. Simple solutions like adding an entrance reducer made of plastic, wood, or metal can help limit the invasion of robber bees. However, this is not always effective, and additional measures like a robber screen might be necessary.