mn_newbee · Minnesota, US · Beginners · Aug 17, 2026
Bees fighting at the entrance?? Bodies on the landing board and I'm panicking
First year, one hive, Minnesota. Went out this morning and there's what looks like FIGHTING at the entrance. Workers grabbing other bees, dragging them off the landing board, some bees just getting shoved off the edge. There are a dozen or so bees crawling in the grass in front of the hive that can't seem to fly right, and a few dead ones.
I read about robbing and now I'm terrified my hive is being attacked. But it doesn't look like the frenzy videos I've seen — the rest of the entrance traffic seems calm, foragers coming and going normally with pollen. It's just these one-on-one wrestling matches.
The bees being dragged out look... bigger? Chunkier? Is this robbing starting or something else? Do I need to reduce the entrance right now? Please help, I've done so well all summer and I can't lose them now.
#drone-eviction#first-year#entrance-behavior
▲ 11 votes💬 5 replies✅ Solved
5 replies
MayaBees · Aug 17, 2026 · ✅ Accepted answer
Take a breath — this is drone eviction, completely normal for August. Those chunky bees being dragged out are drones (big round bodies, huge eyes that meet on top, no stinger). The flow is ending, drones are freeloaders over winter, so the workers stop feeding them and throw them out. Robbing looks totally different: frantic zigzag flying all over the hive, wrestling pairs everywhere, wax cappings on the landing board. Calm pollen-carrying traffic like you describe = healthy colony doing seasonal housekeeping. Evicting drones on time is a sign of a colony getting ready for winter.
AlpineCarnica · Aug 17, 2026
MayaBees has it exactly. I will add: after 18 years I use drone eviction as my calendar. When it starts, I know the colony has decided summer is over, whatever the weather says. Yours starting mid-August in Minnesota is right on schedule, maybe a touch early which just means your dearth is real. Time to think about mite treatment and feeding, not time to worry about this.
YorkshireNewbee · Aug 17, 2026
Ha, I posted almost this exact panic to my association's group chat last week (1st year, Yorkshire). Was convinced it was a bee civil war. Now I just feel a bit sorry for the lads getting turfed out in the rain. Glad it's not just me!
TexasBeeSam · Aug 17, 2026
Party trick to confirm it yourself: pick up one of the evicted bees. If it's a drone it physically cannot sting you — no stinger. Once you've held one you'll recognize them at a glance forever. Big teddy bear eyes.
mn_newbee · Aug 18, 2026
You have no idea how relieved I am. Went back out and looked properly — yep, huge eyes, fat bodies, and I picked one up like TexasBeeSam said. No sting, just angry buzzing. Poor guys. Thanks everyone, heart rate returning to normal.