Bee eating spiders in my hive

[Jeff Buzz]

Did a hive inspection on hive out in the countryside next to a small copse and found two of these chaps between the last frame and wall of brood chamber.

One had spun a web out on the landing platform to catch bees.
You can see the bee carcasses in between the frames this is without the ones the bees would have taken away.

I just hope they also eat Varroa mites

 

[MandF]

The spiders arent going to kill those bees and leave them there? Ordinarily wouldnt a strong hive drive off a spider in the hive even if it was only feeding off already dead bees?

Anyway, I would suspect a weak/failing colony here - having so many dead bees inside the hive, not clearing these out and not keeping spiders out?

Just a guess though as our hives are urban

 

[Swarm]

And that looks very much like a False Widow. It would be dead already if I found it in one of my hives.

 

[hombal]

Is it the fact that it is a false widow that would make you kill it, or the fact that it should not bee in the hive?

 

[Swarm]

Both.

 

[chycarne]

a spider like that in my hive would be removed by she who must be obeyed except when i am doing the spider dance - very different from the bee in the veil dance...and then it is always me who must be obeyed or be embarrassed..

 

[Steve Dyer]

Kill them and do NOT let them bite you.

Steve

 

[hombal]

How can a spider like that bite you? Look at its cute little face. *Hombal tickles the spider under its chin*

 

[Jeff Buzz]

Sad to say it fell of the frame and I trod on it by accident ...both of them

They had defiantly been killing the bees on both sides of the hive above the spiders there were loads of dead bees.

Very healthy hive even better without the lodgers

 

[tonybloke]

And that looks very much like a False Widow. It would be dead already if I found it in one of my hives.

some folk are so specieist!! LOL

( I like all insects )

 

[John M]

some folk are so specieist!! LOL

( I like all insects )

and arachnids too?

 

[Lance Hutchings]

I keep and occasionally breed Tarantulas so pretty spider pro here

 

[Steve Dyer]

some folk are so specieist!! LOL

( I like all insects )

Yes, but spiders are species of the class Arachnida and not Insecta.

Steve

 

[louiseww]

Is it the fact that it is a false widow that would make you kill it, or the fact that it should not bee in the hive?

I found one of these false widows in one of my hives last year - sitting on top of the crown board, so just lifted it and put it in the hedge. I wasn't sure whether I had done the right thing because I did wonder if they would be helpful to the bees keeping out other undesirables!
Louise

 

[peteinwilts]

How can a spider like that bite you? Look at its cute little face. *Hombal tickles the spider under its chin*

I am not convinced it is a false widow. False widows tend to have slightly longer legs and less 'fat'. I have seen quite a few I have seen have pale and dark brown markings on the abdomen, although they are similar to several other species.

hombal tickles spider under chin. spider bites hombel. hombal then logs onto the bee forum from a hospital bed whilst eating a bowl of humble pie that was cooked in the oven of shame, whilst nurses wipe egg off of hombals face

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...black-widows-sister-is-ready-to-bite-you.html

 

[RoseCottage]

Having a sleepless night last night so I wiki'd false widow and followed the links...the picture in this thread could easily be one of the family...


All the best,
Sam

 

[Swarm]

The lighter pattern that is pointed out on its abdomen does not always appear, I have seen plenty of these that are just a dark brown. I come across them practically daily and was shown a series of pictures of a guy who'd been bitten on his thumb.
Suffice to say that by the time it turned black and split open like a sausage, it was over twice normal size.
If you love arachnids and want them in your hive, carry on.

 

[bluesman]

the false widow not been in this country long !! hope i dont get any -creepy man! got stung last week in the ankle -my foot swelled like a gooden -i have secondary infection had to get it sorted -it looks nasty -im wondering now if it was a bee sting or false widow lurking outside the hive-my feet were in deep grass by the entrance -the entry wound it bigger than a normal bee sting! moto of this story 'always wear yor wellies'!

 

[DarynWebb]

the false widow not been in this country long !! hope i dont get any -creepy man!

They are here in South Wales we had loads of them in my old house behind the washing machine and fridge hey are quite shy and never bother me

 

[RosieMc]

From The Telegraph

False Widow Spider spreading across Britain puts woman in Intensive Care

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...oss-Britain-puts-woman-in-intensive-care.html