# Combined bearding and fighting



## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

This is a scene I see many times in the nuc yards. Bearding that seem to just combine over a couple hives. The bees are stretched from one box or one entrance, to another.

Last week however, I had two strong nucs that had an all out battle raging all day that killed a layer of bees an inch deep in front of the hives. There was no robbing, just the leading edge of the beards going to battle. Has anyone ever experienced something like that, perhaps brought on by bearding touching each other? Seems all year long it was no big deal, but maybe its something to watch for later in the summer or during dearths.

Comments....


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Do you suppose that if those hives were a bit further apart it'd reduce the brawling?
Same thing for drifting.


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

beemandan said:


> Do you suppose that if those hives were a bit further apart it'd reduce the brawling?


I'm sure it would help. I was just shocked to see it happening. Then I thought, don't migratory beeks have them all slid together? Or is this just a once in a blue moon thing? These nucs in the picture by the way are not the one's fighting. Those hives fighting had ending by next morning and had separated back a bit from each other, leaving just a bunch of dead bees.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

BjornBee said:


> Then I thought, don't migratory beeks have them all slid together?


Although its surely more convenient and economical for them I wouldn't be surprised if the resulting drift is one of the reasons that diseases, parasites and other pestilence run through their yards so easily. Add to that robbing and fighting amongst those hives much like you've seen is probably exacerbated (I like that word) by their lack of spacing.


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

Would a skunk or something cause them to get defensive towards each other since there guard would be up? Since they were so close together. 

What is that flower starting to bloom going up infront of #15?


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Derek,
Skunks could be a factor. I have had them in this yard from time to time.

The flower....I have no clue.

Dan,
I guess thats fits into the stress factor, and all the other problems with such beekeeping practices. Wasn't really thinking along those lines. Nice observation.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

There is what looks like skunk damage in front of the hive, the smooth clean soil.


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Had skunk problems many times. You won't see nice green vegetation like that. And that that smooth area is actually the bottom boards of the pallet.

Here is some skunk signs... (I moved #77 onto the spot and removed previous to the picture, the weakened nuc.)


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