Robbing and bee candy

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danalion
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2013 10:51 am

Robbing and bee candy

Post by danalion » Sat Apr 06, 2013 10:52 am

I have two deep hive bodies with a horizontal frame with mesh that holds my bee candy on top of the hive bodies and underneath the inner cover and telescoping cover. I have a reduced entrance. One the warm days I note that there are a lot of my bees bringing in pollen. No fighting is noted. Today I noted the same routine except that there is an occasional bee leaving with bits of sugar in it jaws. They leave without any interference from the incoming workers with pollen. Again no fighting at the entrance. Superficially all looks routine. Inside the hive more candy is chewed on that before and crumbs on the removable bottom tray under the screen otherwise it looks like the hive is ok.

Are these robbers leaving with sugar and why no fuss by the home bees? Should I remove the candy as I don’t want to attract robbers. This hive started as a nuc last year and put up just what I thought was the bare minimum of stores hence the bee candy. There are no noticeable blooms near me which is why I have left the candy on.

Thanks,

Dana

donstu
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 9:29 am

Re: Robbing and bee candy

Post by donstu » Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:26 pm

I tried some store bought candy and it appeared that the sugar crystals never got melted because the bees just tear it apart and it gathers like bits of trash on the bottom board. I don't think the bees are actually able to eat it. They are treating it like trash to be hauled out.

The flow is on. Pull the candy.

When the bees eat candy from my recipe it is completely eaten, no left over bits of trash. I opened one yesterday for which the candy was GONE. I mean the only way you could tell there was ever candy in there is that the "tiny super" that holds the candy was there ... but it was empty.

... dons

danalion
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2013 10:51 am

Re: Robbing and bee candy

Post by danalion » Sun Apr 07, 2013 4:08 pm

Thanks, I will take the candy off and use it for syrup this summer. I found your recipe for bee candy online and will try it.

Backyard Bees
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:52 am

Re: Robbing and bee candy

Post by Backyard Bees » Thu Apr 11, 2013 9:42 pm

Agreed. This doesn't sound like a feeding frenzy to me. Robbing has a real frenetic energy about it.
Backyard Bees
P.O. Box 7426
Boulder, Colorado 80306
http://www.BackyardBees.com

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