New beekeepers - DO THIS to STOP ROBBING before it starts! (DIY easy cheap robbing screens)

I got the idea for these screens from the Barnyard Bees YouTube channel.

0:00 - Intro
0:28 - What you'll need
1:00 - Where to find 1/8 inch screen (hardware cloth)
1:26 - How to cut straight strips of hardware cloth/screen
2:26 - Cutting the strips to width
2:45 - How NOT to mount these robbing screens
3:41 - How to put them on correctly
4:32 - Why these work so well
5:30 - When I stopped using these, my nucs got ROBBED!



Robbing is when one colony attacks another colony and steals their honey. It only happens when there is not enough nectar or sugar syrup available outside. If one colony perceives another colony as weak during a time of dearth (no flowers), they will rob it. The robbed colony is usually toast.



Other bees might perceive your colony as weak for several reasons, such as:


Leaving the lid off for too long so anyone can get in without the guards checking them out


Spilling sugar syrup while feeding, attracting hoards of bored and hungry foragers


Dropping a piece of burr comb in front of the entrance


Transferring the bees to a new box, causing them to be confused and disoriented


Allowing your varroa population to get too high


The easiest and least stressful way to stop robbing is to not let it start. So if you have a small colony with a large entrance, that entrance should be partially blocked off with an entrance reducer, or screened off with a robbing screen, to make it easier for the guard bees to defend their home. Robbing screens allow for better ventilation than reducers. They also do a better job of confusing the would-be robbers who are poking around looking for trouble.


You can buy fancy robbing screens for a lot of money from any place that sells beekeeping equipment, OR you can make your own simple robbing screen for almost no money.


The would-be robbers will try follow the smell of the honey through the screen. While they are wasting their time trying to find a way through the screen, the few who find the passage are met by a whole bunch of guard bees defending a very small doorway. So they never get in, the robbing frenzy never even starts, and you will never know how close you came to having a serious problem.


A list of what you'll need:


Metal screen, preferably with 1/8th inch holes

Sharpie

Straightedge

Tin snips

Fasteners (such as staples, screws, or nails)

If your hives are weak and you are concerned that they will get robbed, then you should watch this video about varroa mites to see if that is the issue:    • New beekeepers, watch this before goi...  


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Please remember, we have nucs if you need to buy a nuc: https://www.honeydropfarm.com/buy-a-nuc


Sean Govan

Honeydrop Farm

785-340-5312


N1718 Highway 102

Ogema, WI 54459


honeydropfarm.com


Now go make your own DIY robbing screens for pennies!