Hi Tom

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>
> I am interested in obtaining as much detail as possible on robbing.
>
> 1. Do bees rob only when the opportunity arises and then cease robbing
when
> the easy source is no longer available, e.g. the target hive(s) fully
robbed
> out. Or is a robbing instinct awakened in the hive which then persists?.

I believe that "robbery" is a fact of life for bees and part of their
survival must have at some time depended upon it (but I do not know what).
>
> 2. Is there a genetic aspect to robbing - is there such a bee as a robber,
> i.e. a bee which is more disposed to robbing than average, and actively
> seeks out targets?.

I can give a very definite yes on this one...about 20 years ago a number of
colonies and queens of italian extraction were imported to a farm at a
nearby village. They were distinctive in having a particular orange band in
their colouration.
I collected a swarm from this stock and hived it at about 8: 00 pm one
thursday evening in and apiary containing 10 other established colonies.
There were 11 freshly made B.S. Standard frames with full sheets of
foundation. I was doing some other work in that apiary on the saturday
afternoon (5:10 pm), I do not know what prompted me to look in the "swarm"
hive but I did so and was astonished to see that not only had they drawn out
all but the outside faces of the 11 frames and filled them but that most of
the central frames were capped!
We are looking at a period of 45 hours...I do not believe it is possible for
that amount of honey to have been gathered as nectar and matured into honey
in that timescale, also the amount of wax drawing done in that time would
have consumed a great deal of honey. the only possible explanation is
robbery (and on a grand scale at that).
The frames were solid with honey...there were no cells in which a queen
could lay.
Another notable feature of this colonies activity was that they polished the
floor boards...(the floor was made of hardwood) the shine that they achieved
would have made any french polisher proud.
After going through a couple of brood cycles thay filled every cell with
honey capped it and absconded...they were noticed flying along the Welford
Road (A50) towards Wigston.

>
> 3. Preventing robbing by neat apiary practices, feeding at dusk with
reduced
> entrances and not placing nucs near strong hives is recommended. But how
can
> one stop it if it gets started?

Robbery seems to gather in frenzy, and once started triggers an avalanche.
Some observers have reported "fighting" between bees but the violence that I
have seen has been the tearing of cappings and the tossing of fragments
rather that fighting.
The propensity to rob seems to be re-set to a lower level by a period back
in the hive (due to night or a rainstorm).

I have tried so simulate this using a water spray bottle (to simulate rain
and cool the air) If what happened as a result was success...it was very
minor!

Best Regards Dave Cushman