View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
dubluvva Nurse Bee
Joined: 06 Nov 2011 Posts: 28 Location: England, West Yorkshire, Huddersfield
|
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2015 9:12 pm Post subject: birds eating bees |
|
|
I was greeted by an allotment holder today saying he'd been stung by one of my bees because lots of birds (sparrows and others according to him) had been perching on my hive screen and flying down feasting on bees. He was lovely about it, and said he wasn't complaining, but I'd love to give him an explanation as to the cause. Could it have been an orientation flight that the birds simply took advantage of? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Barbara Site Admin
Joined: 27 Jul 2011 Posts: 1857 Location: England/Co.Durham/Ebchester
|
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 10:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
Birds do sometimes come and pick off the odd bee although I've not had problems at this time of year. It might be worth hanging a string of old cds across the top of the screening to discourage the birds from using it as a vantage point to pick them off.
I would doubt that the birds prompted the bees to sting him. I find it is more to do with it being swarming season and the bees are more tetchy I'm guessing, due to the fluctuation in queen pheromones. Mine live peaceably the rest of the year and I can sit and watch entrance activity, but during swarming season, if I hang around for more than a few minutes, a bee or two will come out and see me off!
Hopefully they will settle down soon. I'm pleased he didn't make a big deal of it and hope it's an isolated incident. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
catchercradle Golden Bee

Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 1551 Location: Cambridge, UK
|
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 10:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
Doesn't answer the question but one of my fellow bee keepers in Cambridge has a blackbird that will sit on the landing board and pick bees off as they come in/out of the hive. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
greengage Guard Bee
Joined: 26 Jan 2015 Posts: 62 Location: Ireland
|
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thats interesting, A beekeeper i know was telling me about swallows picking off bees returning to his hive, they showed no intrest in picking off bees leaving the hive he thinks they were after nectar or pollen. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
trekmate Golden Bee

Joined: 30 Nov 2009 Posts: 1137 Location: UK, North Yorkshire, Bentham
|
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 7:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
I have a hive on a flat (ish) roof and have seen house sparrows taking the odd dead bee from the roof, but never a live one. Recycling at it's simplest!  |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Chardyboy Foraging Bee

Joined: 09 May 2009 Posts: 206 Location: UK, Frimley, Surrey
|
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hi All,
When my bees swarmed, a magpie took an interest in them and got a few stings for its troubles. It was not deterred as I saw it again the following day hopping around the shed roof taking the odd bee in flight.
It didn't hang around too long so I'm hoping it hasn't developed too big a liking for them.
Cheers
Dave |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
dubluvva Nurse Bee
Joined: 06 Nov 2011 Posts: 28 Location: England, West Yorkshire, Huddersfield
|
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2015 9:35 pm Post subject: birds eating bees |
|
|
Thanks to all for your replies. I noticed a couple of sparrows waiting for bees coming back, but they soon got bored and flew off. I am lucky that he is very pro bees Barbara, unlike the man that left a snotty note telling me the swarm I had collected had returned and I was to remove them and guarantee no return or further action would be taken. It turned out there were stragglers that had found their way back to my hive by the time I got to where I had picked up the swarm. ( I've had words with them and made them promise no return or they are grounded!)
 |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Quality Top Bar Hives by Andrew Vidler
|
Conserving wild bees
Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.
Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.
There is a spectacular display of wild bee hotels here
More about bumblebees and solitary bees here
Information about the Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
|
|
Barefoot Beekeeper Podcast
|
|
|
|
4th Edition paperback now available from Lulu.com
|
site map
php. BB © 2001, 2005 php. BB Group
View topic - birds eating bees - Natural Beekeeping Network Forum
|
|