Robbers!

Had to watch the second hive (new nuc) in absolute horror as thousand of honey bees and a few bumble bees having a gala time robbing it. Felt powerless. If the robbing bees are mine from the the other hive a few metres aside, may it is not so bad but it is the whole idea of robbing me of £200.00 which hurts so much. Did a bit of damage limitation research n-line. Adopted two methods, one of which is to close the hive entrance for two/three days. Additionally, I smeared Vick Vaporub to the entrance and immediately around it, including the brood/super joints. The Vick vapours appraently will eliminate the honey smell and robbers will be discouraged. Reason for robbing? Possibly a lull in nectar flow from the local flora. The queen is alive. Spotted crawling about aimlessly on the mesh floor. Still a few new emerging bees but not sure whether these are alive or not. Nurse bees by now might have all been killed. On the whole much honey has been all sucked out and many cells just torn off. The analogy of a tornado having passed through a small town fits. Sugar syrup given in a frame feeder is still there to sustain the bees left for the next three days. The dilemma is that many of the bees enclosed will be robbers, so I am not sure whether or not the robbers will fight the 'natives' with dire consequences of subsequently killing the queen. I will keep fingers crossed that her feromones are dominant enough to make these robbers subservient.