i lost my one backyard hive last year when it got robbed by other bees. pretty amazing to watch, couldn’t stop it. i think i have a really strong wild hive nearby that has learned how to rob. second year in a row.
Clearly, they have their ethnic issues as well.
About 18 years ago my son threw one of his toys on the roof of our garage. I climbed up to get it and as I reached toward it, the most wonderfully bright solid yellow mini-bee (perfectly proportioned) hovered 4 inches from my hand. I had never seen one before and haven’t seen one since. Looked all over about it to no avail. Ever seen one?
Hubby pushed over a dead tree recently & it was full of bees and honey....made us sad but the tree is still on the ground in our field & the bees are still with it. We also have a dead tree at the golf course that is full of bees etc. Today our holly bush is in bloom & the bees are thick on it.
Could you have or did you install an entrance reducer to give your hive a better chance of defending itself? Do you think it would have done any good to put some sugar water away from your hive that would have drawn the feral bees away from your hive?
Put some swarm traps out and capture ‘em back.