Great Tit

[karl moss]

Apart from the last couple of weeks it has rained forever! Consequently most Birds have suffered from a dearth of Insects, I have noticed recently a Great Tit taking a close Interest in my hives,taking a much closer Interest myself,the little ######## is actually flying onto the hive landing board and taking Bees to feed it's young In all my years in the countryside I have never witnessed this behaviour before, I have been tempted to Intervene,as the nest is only 6foot away from my hives but what will be will be (excuse the pun) has anyone else witnessed this?

 

[Baggyone]

The amount of bees they will take is tiny in comparison to how many hatch. Watch and wonder as it will be over soon enough.

 

[Davidwd]

Same here, this is also happening to my hives. I am concerned as I have made a split and should have a queen flying soon.

 

[BeeNice]

The biggest problem I have is not Tits but Swifts, they can take a returning queen on the wing and I have lots of them in the barn next to my hives. Fingers cross that none are taken this year.
S

 

[karl moss]

Yes i have swifts as well taking Bees,but on the wing,so its not "in your face"robbery

 

[BeeNice]

No, it's behind your back robbery... ho well all part of the fun of beekeeping can't wait til the hive beetles and the asian wasps appear!
regards
Steven

 

[Teemore]

I watched a male chaffinch sitting on a fence near one of my hives last week: it would hop off the fence and grab a passing bee and then gobble it down. If it had been a person I would say that he looked at me rather sheepishly after wolfing down one of the bees!

 

[Sammo]

I've also got quite a lot of birds foraging around the hives but it would appear that they were picking up the dead or dying bees from the ground. They're doing quite a good job keeping the area clear but I'd be pretty upset if they started taking healthy bees though!

 

[Fahey]

I've noticed a pair of sparrows taking a few bees for their nestlings but I can't blame them as I went to great lengths to encourage them to the house in the first place (bird table etc.). As this is the first year I've had bees in the 'urban setting' and the sparrows were there first so it must be a new food item for them.
In Cumbria there are lots of sparrows, both house and the beautiful tree sparrow who don't seem to be attracted to the bees at all.

 

[Sammo]

I love having these birds (unless they were the bee eater/catcher types) around even though they may conflict with beekeeping. Much prefer these than other pests such as the hornets

 

[Finman]

.
I feed great tits with drone pupae what I take from the hive for varroa

 

[Firefly]

I put drone pupae, and some drone comb with the pupae exposed, on the bird table. Within 24h it was all gone, comb and all. I wonder where?!

 

[Finman]

I put drone pupae, and some drone comb with the pupae exposed, on the bird table. Within 24h it was all gone, comb and all. I wonder where?!

Bigger birds are too interested on them. Magpie and woodpecker.

 

[REDWOOD]

They are not so great now when they take your bees, I have heard of a case where one would sit on the landing board and tap the side of the hive, a bee would come out to investigate and WHAM it's gone and the person who told me this said the tit emptied the hive !!!!

 

[tonybloke]

hornets are not a pest!!

 

[REDWOOD]

Thank god cows can't fly

 

[Finman]

Thank god cows can't fly

Don't mix religion to facts

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P6NoJS6-rw&feature=related[/ame]
.

 

[user 6228]

Had 6 Great Tits taking bees from a hive this morning.. I think the secret is not to make them a perch where there can see the bees, and pick them off.

 

[Luminos]

Don't mix religion to facts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P6NoJS6-rw&feature=related
.

Y'see with Limousin cattle,we just don't have that problem at milking time

 

[REDWOOD]

Had 6 Great Tits taking bees from a hive this morning.. I think the secret is not to make them a perch where there can see the bees, and pick them off.

Correct that's why I don't use landing boards