Slugs in Apideas

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Joined
Jul 13, 2010
Messages
18
Reaction score
0
Location
Southeast Ireland
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
6+
This is my first attempt at queen rearing, three yrs into my beekeeping life! I have 5 apideas filled with bees and on checking them to see if they needed feeding I found at least three large black slugs hiding on the walls of each apidea (five in one). I have three at my home apiary, and two at a friends apiary about eight miles away, so it's not just my slug infested garden. Is this unusual? The bees didn't seem too perturbed.
 
how did they get in the small entrance??!! or did they enter small and grew large within:eek:
 
Had same problem in split I had in a nuc box, bees didn't seem to worry but they were making a mess of frames and kept making their way up into the feeder. So wet here, doesn't help
 
I'm having the same problem! Not sure if they are inside my hives but certainly crawling all over especially, near the entrances. Do they have a sweet tooth? so to speak.
 
I found some (3) in Hive 2. Those small grey ones, on the crown board plus some small earwigs(2) cant think how the little beggers got in
 
Sorry forgot to mention I found these pests in a full size hive on the crown board
 
Slugs inside hives, of all types, is very common.

The huge black ones, like liquorice, are more commonly found on the outside of the hives, particularly if there is a lot of lush vegetation around, but also inside from time to time. They like algae, slime moulds (barely visible), and possibly hive debris.

Then there are the ones we call 'tiger slugs' perhaps leopard would be more appropriate, which are light to mid brown with blackish spots, streaks, and patches on them. They graze away normally inside the hive. We suspect they possibly have a taste for the propolis varniah, or chalk brood mummies, or general hive debris, though there seems little correlation between their presence and floor cleanliness. They can be present in the hive at any time of year, and if the bees take a particular dislike to them you can find them dessicated on the floor and entombed with propolis.

There are various small slug types too, from plae grey to reddish brown, and those we generally ignore. The big ones we evict.

We also have places where we get a lot of snails on the hive outsides. It is a site specific issue, some places they are a pest because they get into awkward places like under roof edges whilst working, and some other places you get unique looking varieties, sometimes huge, at least an inch and a half across. Again it is linked to vegetation and dampness of the ground. Their reason for being there appear to be either looking for algae on the surfaces or just a nice safe resting place. Under the hives and the roofs may just be a good way to avoid thrushes etc.

Neither the slugs or the snails are anything more than a curiosity and very minor irritation. Never seen any indication that they are after any of the vital parts of the active colony,as in honey, wax, pollen, or live brood.
 
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I have seen a few in the hives that are sitting fairly close to the ground, I found a slug in one hive that was hard and the bees were propolising it.
Also experienced snails on box sides and under roof edges etc. no problems though.
 
Slugs inside hives, of all types, is very common.

The huge black ones, like liquorice, are more commonly found on the outside of the hives, particularly if there is a lot of lush vegetation around, but also inside from time to time. They like algae, slime moulds (barely visible), and possibly hive debris.

Then there are the ones we call 'tiger slugs' perhaps leopard would be more appropriate, which are light to mid brown with blackish spots, streaks, and patches on them. They graze away normally inside the hive. We suspect they possibly have a taste for the propolis varniah, or chalk brood mummies, or general hive debris, though there seems little correlation between their presence and floor cleanliness. They can be present in the hive at any time of year, and if the bees take a particular dislike to them you can find them dessicated on the floor and entombed with propolis.

There are various small slug types too, from plae grey to reddish brown, and those we generally ignore. The big ones we evict.

We also have places where we get a lot of snails on the hive outsides. It is a site specific issue, some places they are a pest because they get into awkward places like under roof edges whilst working, and some other places you get unique looking varieties, sometimes huge, at least an inch and a half across. Again it is linked to vegetation and dampness of the ground. Their reason for being there appear to be either looking for algae on the surfaces or just a nice safe resting place. Under the hives and the roofs may just be a good way to avoid thrushes etc.

Neither the slugs or the snails are anything more than a curiosity and very minor irritation. Never seen any indication that they are after any of the vital parts of the active colony,as in honey, wax, pollen, or live brood.

Very interesting, thanks. I think I may set up some beer traps nearby.
 
On some of the rounds of mininucs this season I've had a sinking feeling that I'm slug farming rather than queen rearing.
 
I've seen slugs eating cat poo.
A good enough reason to keep them out of your hives, IMO.
:puke:
 
Used to find slugs inside when hives were sited directly on paving slabs. Since I've put the hives on wooden stands (last four years or so) I haven't seen any inside the hives. Plenty of earwigs though, every year between roof and crown board, don't know that they do any harm....
 
I see them now and again but they never seem to do any damage.

ITLD has the right of it.

PH
 
On some of the rounds of mininucs this season I've had a sinking feeling that I'm slug farming rather than queen rearing.

i know what you mean....but at least mine are crunchy and entombed
 
lots in hives

i think with the weather as it is the slugs/snails just need to shelter too
pain in the back side the thing is why dont the bees drive them out
im thinking of puttint two strips of copper wires across the entrance with a 9volt battery plug to them that will stop them :willy_nilly:
 

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