Robbing Behavior in Bees

Robbing is one of beekeeping's most alarming events — a violent frenzy where foragers from strong colonies attack weaker ones to steal their honey. Left unchecked, robbing can kill a colony in hours. The good news: it's preventable, and even in progress, it can often be stopped.

What Is Robbing?

Robbing occurs when foraging bees from one colony force their way into another hive to steal stored honey. Unlike normal foraging behavior, robbing bees take resources from their fellow bees rather than from flowers.

From the robber's perspective, a weak hive full of honey is a much easier target than flowers that have stopped producing nectar. It's opportunistic theft — and once it starts, it can escalate rapidly as successful robbers recruit more bees from their colony.

Robbing vs. Orientation Flights

New beekeepers sometimes confuse robbing with orientation flights. Here's the difference:

• Orientation flights: Young bees hovering in front of their hive, facing it, learning landmarks. Calm, systematic, daytime only.
• Robbing: Frantic bees trying to enter a hive, fighting at the entrance, flying erratically around edges looking for ways in.

Signs of Robbing

Learn to recognize robbing early — the faster you act, the better the outcome.

At the Hive Entrance

• Fighting. Bees wrestling, biting, and stinging each other at the entrance. Guard bees grab intruders; intruders fight back.
• Dead bees accumulating. Bodies pile up in front of the hive. You may see torn wings, separated body parts.
• Wasp-like flight. Robber bees approach the entrance in a searching, side-to-side manner rather than direct flight.
• Bees at cracks and seams. Robbers probe every potential entry point — under the lid, around corners, through damaged areas.

Overall Activity

• Frenzy. The scene feels chaotic — much more intense than normal hive activity.
• Activity after dark. Normal foraging stops at dusk. Robbing can continue into evening as bees try to finish their theft before being locked out.
• Excessive activity at a weak hive. A hive that was quiet suddenly has heavy traffic — but the traffic doesn't match its population.

Inside the Hive (After the Fact)

• Torn cappings on honey cells (messy, ragged edges)
• Honey stores depleted or gone
• Dead bees on the bottom board
• Surviving bees demoralized and clustered
• Sometimes the queen is killed in the chaos

What Triggers Robbing

Robbing typically requires three conditions:

1. Nectar Dearth

Robbing is most common during times when flowers aren't producing nectar — late summer, drought conditions, or the gap between nectar flows. Foragers are programmed to find resources. When flowers dry up, they get desperate.

2. A Weak or Vulnerable Target

Strong colonies can defend themselves. Robbers target:

• Weak colonies (small population, sick, queenless)
• Nucs with small entrances but not enough bees to guard them
• Recently combined or split hives
• Colonies stressed by disease or mite loads
• Hives left open too long during inspection

3. The Smell of Opportunity

Exposed honey or syrup broadcasts an invitation. Common triggers:

• Spilled syrup during feeding
• Open feeding (trays of syrup in the apiary)
• Leaving honey frames or cappings exposed
• Extracting honey in or near the apiary
• Hive inspections during dearth (breaking propolis seals releases smells)

How to Stop Robbing in Progress

Step 1: Reduce the Entrance Immediately

Stuff the entrance down to one or two bee-widths using grass, a reducer, or foam. This makes the entrance defensible — one guard bee can now hold off multiple attackers.

Grass works well because it's porous (ventilation), and resident bees can chew through it from inside if needed. Pack it loosely.

Step 2: Make Entry Confusing

Robbers have learned the entrance location. Change it up:

• Drape a wet towel or sheet over the front of the hive. Resident bees learn the new entry point; robbers get confused.
• Place branches with leaves in front of the entrance
• Robbing screens (commercial or DIY) create a maze that defenders know and robbers don't

Step 3: Remove the Attractant

If you spilled syrup or left equipment exposed, clean it up. Remove open feeders from the apiary. Take honey supers inside.

Step 4: In Extreme Cases — Close the Hive

If robbing is severe and the colony is being overwhelmed:

1. Close the entrance completely with screen (so bees can breathe but not exit)
2. Move the hive to a different location (at least 2 miles away) if possible
3. Or keep it closed for 2-3 days, checking ventilation (provide shade if hot)

This breaks the robbing cycle. When you reopen, reduce the entrance significantly.

Prevention Strategies

Preventing robbing is much easier than stopping it. Build these habits:

Keep Colonies Strong

• Requeen failing colonies promptly
• Combine weak colonies rather than nursing them along
• Treat for Varroa to prevent population crashes
• Match entrance size to colony strength

Be Careful During Dearth

• Reduce entrances on all hives during summer dearth
• Keep inspections short — don't leave hives open
• Never extract honey in or near the apiary
• Clean up any spills immediately

Feed Smart

• Never open-feed (trays of syrup in the apiary). It starts robbing.
• Use internal feeders or top feeders that don't expose syrup
• Feed in the evening so bees don't recruit robbers during the day
• Don't dribble syrup on the outside of hives

After a Robbing Attack

If your colony survived, it's going to need support:

• Assess the damage. Is the queen alive? Is there enough population to recover? Are there any honey stores left?
• Feed immediately. The colony may have lost all its stores. Internal feeding is critical.
• Keep the entrance reduced. The colony is weaker than before and still a target.
• Consider combining. If the colony is very weak, combining with another colony may be the kindest option. A weak colony going into fall or winter often doesn't survive.
• Watch for robbing to restart. Robbers remember where they found honey. Be vigilant for days afterward.