Do swallows eat bees?

[donnifish]

I was pleased to see a pair of swallows nesting under the eaves again this year... but... for the first time I have a colony positioned close by (actually a bait hive occupied by a swarm which is building up nicely, most of my bees are 100 yards away). In the last week I have been watching the bees flying up and over the building to get to flowering field beans accross the road, right past the swallows which seem to be doing a lost of zooming accross the bee's flight path. Are they picking off my bees to feed their young?

 

[viridens]

Do swallows eat bees? Yes!

 

[jezd]

hell yes, by the bucket

 

[Midland Beek]

No they don't. I think I would have noticed one near my beehives by now.

 

[merylvingien]

Who cares if they do?

I mean cmon, those poor old birds have flown 6000 miles to get here, give em a break...
Try walking 6000 miles and tell me you wouldnt want a nice Tbone steak and a portion of chips, onion rings and garlic mushrooms, peas, peri peri sauce and a lincolnshire sausage to top it all off.....

 

[susbees]

Who cares if they do?

I mean cmon, those poor old birds have flown 6000 miles to get here, give em a break...
Try walking 6000 miles and tell me you wouldnt want a nice Tbone steak and a portion of chips, onion rings and garlic mushrooms, peas, peri peri sauce and a lincolnshire sausage to top it all off.....

In a word. No. Well except the onion rings and garlic mushrooms p'raps....and the chilli sauce...

 

[TJSnapper]

There is evidence that some species of birds select only the drones due to their lack of sting but I have seen Swallows eating bees whilst I was trying to photograph them..

 

[aberreef]

Who cares if they do?

I mean cmon, those poor old birds have flown 6000 miles to get here, give em a break...
Try walking 6000 miles and tell me you wouldnt want a nice Tbone steak and a portion of chips, onion rings and garlic mushrooms, peas, peri peri sauce and a lincolnshire sausage to top it all off.....

Sod the walk I could eat that lot for breakfast

 

[Chris Luck]

No they don't.

Aren't there any ornithologists on here?

Chris.

 

[Luminos]

Aren't there any beekeepers on here?
lol

 

[Winker]

Yes they do! This year i have had 4 camp the end of my garden over my hives. This is my first year in keeping hives there and its the first year the Swallows have camped the end of the garden.

But its ok! I have many bees, i dont mind sharing with the Swallows

 

[Headnavigator]

Never mind the swallows, a blackbird has just raised a clutch of six in the hedge three foot from my hives, and they have all been lined up on the fence eating 'something' they are finding right there. Wouldn't mind so much but I'm waiting for two virgins to mate. If they eat my queens . . . . . . . . . . .

 

[viridens]

I'm pretty sure that I have seen this debate here before, along with and the 'is it a Swift, Swallow or Martin' question.
From what I have observed over the years they all take bees from time to time, and start when they arrive early on when there are unlikely to be any drones flying.

 

[mbc]

Do insect eating birds eat insects ?

 

[moby]

So do House Sparrows saw them sitting at the entrance to one of my hives picking up the tired bees returning home

 

[Chris Luck]

Chris

 

[freethorpe bees]

I have just asked an ornithologist (naturalist etc) and yes they do.

 

[Heather]

AND the bluetits are lining up at the edge of the hive- just waiting!!
I have 2 virgins waiting to fly- just hope they make it through. but, categorically Yes, swallows DO eat the bees- in flight

 

[TJSnapper]

A family of Robins appear to be a fixture near my hives as well

 

[beestie]

Do bears s*** in the woods?

(sorry...couldn't resist that )