Problem Solved!

My hive robbery has slowed down and may have even stopped completely.  The solution was the wet sheet I draped over the hive yesterday afternoon.  Just hours after I applied the sheet, I could see activity at the front of the hive slowing down.  I didn't observe any more wasps entering through the crack where the cover meets the super (since the wet towel was in the way).  I took the sheet off in the evening to allow for night time ventilation, and this morning, activity looked normal.  It's about noon now, and the entrance has a bit of activity.  I saw some wasps in the grass in front of the hive, so I replaced the sheet. 

All in all, a wet sheet is a great strategy to stop hive robbing.  It seemed to help the bees get a leg up on their enemies, and it may have prevented a colony loss later on if the honey robbing perpetuated.  I hope the bees have enough honey left to make it through the winter, and I hope that not too many of the actual bees were killed in this epic skirmish.

Help! I'm being robbed!

The honey harvest is being postponed or cancelled.  There has been an attack on the hive.  I went out to check on the bees the other day, and I notice a great amount of activity at the entrance to the hive and on the front of the hive.  Upon closer inspection I saw that bees were fighting at the entrance and in the grass in front of the hive.  I also saw some wasps in the fray.  Hive robbing!  I put an entrance reducer on when I saw this, and the robbing continued but slowed.  Today I put a wet sheet over the hive.  I suspected that some of the robbers were getting in through a crack on the top of the hive.  The sheet leaves the entrance exposed and will hopefully block the "backdoor".

I'll keep you posted on the activity!