Robber Barons and the War of the Roses

This week, my hives are called York and Lancaster. York is currently in power.

Yesterday, York got greedy.

I'd noticed that the hives hadn't produced any new comb since I slowed down the feed, so we must be in a dearth. I fed the bees, putting large ziplocs full of sugar water inside each hive. Then I put small slits in the tops of the baggies.

Three hours later, I noticed a surge in activity outside York. This hive is visible from my back deck, a useful setup for a newbeekeeper.

They seemed fairly organized. They were bunching up in front of the hive, flying in tight circles by the entrance as if there was a backup on the landing pad.

As I watched them, I realized that the bees leaving the hive had changed their path...from a straight flight path across the valley to one of three new paths: up and to the west, down into the valley and to the west, or straight into the trees just west of the hive. You guessed it--Lancaster is to the west, and down in the valley. I ran down to check out my other hive (formerly known as the "natural" hive).

Sure enough, it was busier, too. But there was no organization. More like a circus with all the acts going at once. Bees flying around the front of the hive, bees flying around the whole hive in a big circle, bees flying straight up 30 feet above the hive and then straight down again. There was even a cirle of bees flying 30 feet above the hive. It was like hula hoops of bees going every which way. And bees were entering the top and bottom of the hive at an alarming rate.

As I snuck up, I saw dead bees at the hive entrance, and in the weeds in front of the hive.

This hive was clearly being robbed. And I knew who the robbers were. The other hive, and now newly christened Yorks. (I may be reading too many novels about medieval times.)

I waited until early the next day and shut both hives down, closing top entrances and putting a cleat in the bottom entrance. The cleat shrinks the entrance, allowing the Lancasters a smaller gate so they have less real estate to protect from intruders.

Nowhere is it written that I should do anything to the robber bees, but I shrunk their gate as well. Might as well make it difficult for them!

Seemed to work. Activity slowed at both hives. Today, before I added more feed, I watched the Lancasters. They were bringing in lots of pollen (but no nectar), so I guess all is well. After all, when the castle is under siege, the farmers are fighting, not working.

Maybe I won't have to paint the Lancaster's hive red.