Practical Guide: 4.8.3. Robbing

Robbing is undesirable behavior in which bees from other colonies enter a hive to steal its reserves. It often occurs during periods of food shortage or following beekeeping activities. The following information is based on official guideline 4.8.3 from the Swiss Bee Health Service.

Official Practical Guide – Summary

Practical Guide: 4.8.3 Robbing

• Definition: Robbing refers to the theft of food reserves from a colony by foreign bees.
• Contributing factors:
  • Periods without nectar flow.
  • Accessible food sources or poorly managed feeding.
  • Hive entrances too wide for the strength of the colony.
• Characteristic signs:
  • Disorderly and intense activity in front of the hive.
  • Fights between bees at the hive entrance.
  • Wax debris and dead bees.
• Prevention:
  • Reduce hive entrances.
  • Work cleanly without leaving food accessible.
  • Preferably carry out feeding in the evening.
• Important point:
  • Once initiated, robbing is difficult to control and should be prevented through appropriate measures.

► Open the official factsheet PDF (FR)

► To the official factsheet page (abeilles.ch)
Note: Section Operation management → 4.8.3 “Robbing”.

Summary established on the basis of factsheet 4.8.3. Last verification: 01/2026.

See also:

• Factsheet: 4.2 Feeding
• Factsheet: 3.2 Periods of food shortage
• Factsheet: 4.8.1 Observation at the hive entrance
• Principles of bee feeding