# Top Bar Robber Screen that works?



## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

My effective top bar robber screen is #8 hardware cloth (or you could even use window screen) bent in a sideways U-shape across the entire front of the hive with a fairly large entrance on both sides. I just stapled the top and bottom of the screen to the hive. The robber bees don't move far enough to the side of the entrance to get in. You could also drape a sheet over the entire hive (but don't allow it to reach the ground on all four sides) for a few days which will allow your bees out and block the robber bees.


----------



## BobRagsdale (Nov 23, 2014)

It sounds like you have done things pretty well. I find that having the entrance to the screen about 4 inches from where they normally enter is best. When however robbing is in full swing (like you had, and I had earlier) the robber screen won't necessarily stop it. They only way is to do what you have done and close the hive up (I do it by stapling screen over the entrances so they still have air circulation but nobody can get in or out).

Even then, it can be hard to break the robbing pattern. I have a hive that has been under attack off and on all summer. I think I have almost broken the cycle now. I will admit however I did let it happen so that I could see what unchecked robbing does. It was really ugly. One third of the combs ended up with wax moths and beetles and got slimed and had to be thrown away, One third had wax moth larve (really young ones) and had to be frozen - but were salvageable. And the other third was ok. It was a real disaster. It has really taken this hive a long time to recover (I have even given it stores and brood from the adjacent hive). But, it was good to see the full cycle - I just don't think my bees appreciated it at all.


----------



## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

My top bars are weak and would be robbed silly if they did not have 1.25" diameter entrance holes. (one) 
The bees kind of drape over the hole on the inside and have the entrance looking like fort knox in both my top bar hives. 

I do have a lang hive in the same yard that got robbed out to the point where I had to screen it. Covered top entrance with screen and bottom all but 1.5" with a 3/4" side up on the bottom board. 
They still fight at the entrance but not much actual robbing going on anymore.


----------



## Apismellifera (Oct 12, 2014)

I'll try fabbing some sort of snorkel. LOL Hm, piece of pvc? I have some clear vinyl tubing also... Out to the shed to scout my junk...

I toyed with the idea of trapping in the raiders, since this hive needs workers. I was afraid tho' that they might be so pissed off in larger numbers that they would go after my old queen. I was lucky in that they didn't seem to be interested in her, and only on the last attack did I see a bit of wax chewed up, before that they were at the feeder or probably robbing uncapped syrup. 

Stupid bees, I'll just rob it back from their hive to give it to the weak one.

Still trying to get in today, and the screen is full of bees begging to get out. I see a fair number of dead bees on the feeder, not drowned 'cuz they can't, maybe they're the casualties of fighting a small yellowjacket I see in there that looks like it's been sorely wounded. Hard not to want to open it up, but I said I wouldn't. Gar.

Do they need water apart from the 1-1 syrup that's already in there?


----------



## GP beekeeper (Aug 16, 2015)

this is my first year with a top bar. The last two days I have noticed all entrances being aggressively gaurded and chaos inside the hive. Is this because it is being robbed? I am assuming I should close down the entrances and maybe go back to 3 or less? I have 6 openings now (maybe that was too many anyway? Any advice is appreciated. Western Colorado 7,000 ft elevation so September will be chilly


----------



## Apismellifera (Oct 12, 2014)

Sounds like it. Yeh, reduce 'em down, leave open the least used looking one? The robbers seem to get obsessed with a particular entrance and will waste their time over there. ;-) I've got mine down to a teensy 2 or 3 bee width. You might consider putting a screw with a little cover you can move around to shut the hole down more.

Shut my hive up for 2.5 days, at 5am took out the feeder and opened it up, still getting robbed. At the first sign of it this am I moved it. They're in a 2' box so I could do it by myself.

Still happening, so I tried out the new bee vac and sucked up any bees that engaged in dodgy behavior. When I opened the box near the strong hive about an hour later they were strangely chill. I figured they would be upset. I lost a few, I assume because I started out with the suction too strong, but not many and now I have it dialed in - the little airflow control on the box about half open. I'm amazed that the little 1.5hp vac has to be dialed down so much. I'm eyeballing my misc junk for something like a funnel I can use on the biz end of it, see how that works...

Gave 'em another bar of brood/bees (the one the queen was on in the other hive, put her in a clip first) to make up for the attrition and put the feeder in the strong hive. The leftover robbers got confused about which end of the hive is the actual entrance, so I encouraged that with a bar with a knothole, kept 'em diverted for a time on the closed side of the hive.

The old queen is still in there, bless her little antenna. There's a bit more activity than I'd like still, but I'll move them again after dark tonight and put big obstacles in front of the hive entrance.

Sigh.


----------

