Bee's robbing?

Can anyone help tell me if this is robbing? It happened yesterday but it was A LOT more frenzied, and there were twice as many dark, shiny (wild) honey bees going in and out with nothing. Today they are all the same (orange stripes, like mine) and a little more calm. The only other reason I could think of for them to be doing this is a massive food supply somewhere, which is unlikely given the weather lately (cold, wet and VERY windy). I did put up a robber screen last night, but my bees couldn't find the exit hole so I took it off.

Another reason for this that a beekeeper told me is that there might be another swarm that has moved in with my bees, and now the hive is twice as big (the two queens would fight to the death until there's only one). A very odd situation!

*EDIT* Wow sorry about the bad quality, youtube must have busted it down.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Bees
• robbing
• robber
• bees
• beekeeping
• honey
• stealing

[chivelegs]

They might be young bees just having there first trial out doors. The colour difference could be because they are of different drone sperm stock?

[cruddiestcrudever]

@chivelegs I hadn't thought of young bees having a first trial outdoors, interesting thought hehe. As for different colours, I made this video when I had just started beekeeping, now I understand a bit more about them and yeah I think the different drone stock must be it, the queen can choose between her stores from different drones.

[MrRalphPierre]

There is a simple way to find out if there are robber bees here. After nightfall, be sure there are no bees outside of the hive, then screen up the entrance tightly. If there is a cloud of bees the next day, they are robbers. It would help to reduce the size of the opening if there is evidence of robbing.

[Safet]

When robbing occurs you usually see a fight for life and death on the entrance.