Swallow/Swift.

[jonnybeegood]

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Read....one was found....

I have lots of mating nucs in my cottage yard, and swifts. And I have not noticed, that virgins disappear.

I have had that cottage 35 years.

But who kills queens... It is me. Tens every year.

Ps. My first 6 swifts arrived to their bird houses 20.5. It is very usual and regular date.

If there are sterling nest in the bird house, swift just go inside and destroyes the nest.

Squirrels and woodpecker eaters swift's yougs, and sometimes only 2 nest will survive.

Swifts take the same as swallows, of course they take bees, they take most flying insects even dragon flies. Oh & starlings or sterlings wouldnt use the same nest as swifts, stick to bees

 

[jonnybeegood]

.
Read....one was found....

I have lots of mating nucs in my cottage yard, and swifts. And I have not noticed, that virgins disappear.

I have had that cottage 35 years.

But who kills queens... It is me. Tens every year.

Ps. My first 6 swifts arrived to their bird houses 20.5. It is very usual and regular date.

If there are sterling nest in the bird house, swift just go inside and destroyes the nest.

Squirrels and woodpecker eaters swift's yougs, and sometimes only 2 nest will survive.

Can you post a pic of the bird house?

 

[Finman]

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I have not picture, buh very essential is the fistance between bottom and entrance, 40 cm.

Entrance 50 mm diameter

Size of bottom, 10 x 10 cm. If bottom is too wide, eggs will rol over the nest bowl edge.

If bottom is plye, eggs will be rushed.

I trained building 10 years and then I start to succeed splended.

Box can be horizontal. It is favorit, if distance from nest to entrance is 40 cm.

 

[Finman]

Swifts take the same as swallows, of course they take bees, they take most flying insects even dragon flies. Oh & starlings or sterlings wouldnt use the same nest as swifts, stick to bees

Remember mefication

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why were you going to agree if you didnt know?

I thought I did know.

 

[Swarm]

Only last year I was watching Swallows taking my bees, over the hives and a small patch of Balsam in an adjacent field.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I'm fairly confident swifts take bees from my colonies, because they seem to stay in the area longer than they did before the bees were there. Bees are also eaten by local robins, great tits, blue tits and blackbirds.

 

[Finman]

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I looked Finnish information about swift's food balls what it carries to its youngs.
Its weigh is 1g, and it may had 150-200 big insects and spiders or small insects 1500. So animals what they catch, are very small.

10 bees is 1,2 grams and 6 drones is 1g.

Weight of swift is 42-54 g.

.weight of sterling is 75 g

 

[jonnybeegood]

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I looked Finnish information about swift's food balls what it carries to its youngs.
Its weigh is 1g, and it may had 150-200 big insects and spiders or small insects 1500. So animals what they catch, are very small.

10 bees is 1,2 grams and 6 drones is 1g.

Weight of swift is 42-54 g.

.weight of sterling is 75 g

And the point is? Clearly they eat bees, was this test carried out throughout the year? They are more likely to eat bees when they have young to either feed them or to supplement themselves with a quick big fix to save time & energy.

 

[bontbee]

I'm fairly confident swifts take bees from my colonies, because they seem to stay in the area longer than they did before the bees were there. Bees are also eaten by local robins, great tits, blue tits and blackbirds.

all of the above, plus chaffinches here. (oops, before I get embroiled in the great swift or swallow debate - I'm not vouching for them. Just the others in BJB's list, plus chaffinches!)

 

[Finman]

And the point is? Clearly they eat bees, was this test carried out throughout the year? They are more likely to eat bees when they have young to either feed them or to supplement themselves with a quick big fix to save time & energy.

Fo you gave swiftd in winter...

Point is that you do not even understand about those birds. Just talking nonsense .

Do you even identyfy swift ?

 

[Finman]

And the point is? Clearly they eat bees, was this test carried out throughout the year? They are more likely to eat bees when they have young to either feed them or to supplement themselves with a quick big fix to save time & energy.

Through out the year..... Swifts are here 2,5 months.

More likely.... British intellectual poking.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

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I looked Finnish information about swift's food balls

Here we go - talking balls again

 

[jonnybeegood]

Fo you gave swiftd in winter...

Point is that you do not even understand about those birds. Just talking nonsense .

Do you even identyfy swift ?

Fo you gave swiftd in winter...
& you say i am talking bollocks?

 

[Ely]

Jonny. Swallows and Swifts are not in Britain all year. They are in Finland for a shorter time than they are here.

 

[badger65]

African or European. Is that the weight laden or unladen?

 

[jonnybeegood]

Jonny. Swallows and Swifts are not in Britain all year. They are in Finland for a shorter time than they are here.

Yes i know? They come to breed in summer to both countries & most of Europe, the discussion was about whether they eat honey bees, theres a slight disagreement.

 

[Ely]

And the point is? Clearly they eat bees, was this test carried out throughout the year? They are more likely to eat bees when they have young to either feed them or to supplement themselves with a quick big fix to save time & energy.

Come on then Jonny. How would you run a test throughout the year if you were in Finland when they are only around for 2 - 3 months during breeding season?

 

[jonnybeegood]

Come on then Jonny. How would you run a test throughout the year if you were in Finland when they are only around for 2 - 3 months during breeding season?

I wouldnt run a test? Look in books, look on the internet, obviously its been done & swifts & swallows eat bees, as do martins, ive seen them eat bees, i know they eat bees, im not the one thats got it wrong, its the guy from sheffield or wherever that needs convincing.Lol

 

[Finman]

I wouldnt run a test? Look in books, look on the internet, obviously its been done & swifts & swallows eat bees, as do martins, ive seen them eat bees, i know they eat bees, im not the one thats got it wrong, its the guy from sheffield or wherever that needs convincing.Lol

There is rubbish in books too. For example that swift cannot start to fly from ground.

I have 18 swift nest in my cottage garden, and I have 20 beehives in same garden.

Swifts fly usually 100-200 metres above beehives. They sail quietly against wind in same place and catch good what wind flow brings near them.

If summer is dry, they go somewhere else far away catch their food. i cannot see where. I meet them flying above rivers and bogs. At least they are not hunting near beehives and they are not hunting drone swarm. I can hear the sound of flying drones above the warm field in front of my house.

During 35 years I have not met a slightest hint that Swift catch bees. They life would be very easy around beehives if they eate bees.

100 swifts would ne collected above my beehives,but it has never happened.

In my area swifts are 28.5 - 15.8. When youngs are ready to fly, adults disappear from sky totally. I can here when youngs are in there hive and when the hive is silent and empty.

The winter they are in tropical Africa.