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Author Topic: Birds keep stealing workers  (Read 2910 times)

Offline bluefoxicy

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Birds keep stealing workers
« on: June 02, 2014, 09:31:04 am »
There's a bird camping next to the beehive entrance.  It steals forager bees when they come out, runs off, then comes back and steals another one.

 >:(

And here I was going to put a hive next to my house too, since I have wasps.  Bees are rather docile, but territorial:  they'll attack wasps.  Wasps are also idiots and will try to invade the hive to steal honey.  Lavender and peppermint fields will give my bees stuff to protect... but will birds start nesting in my trees and stealing all my bees too?

Every time I think I've bent nature to my will, something eats it.

Offline euge

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2014, 09:40:43 am »
Resistance is useless.



I'd do the hive anyway and see how the bird can be skeert away.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline pete b

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2014, 09:59:44 am »
There are tens of thousands of bees in your hive and a healthy queen will produce new brood all summer, well into the fall. The few bees birds could take is not a lot in the grand scheme of things. Its the mites that you can't see that are the real problem.
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2014, 10:15:57 am »
^^^ This +1
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Offline Vin S

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2014, 10:23:03 am »
You can try a plastic owl to scare birds off.
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Offline Alewyfe

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2014, 10:30:42 am »
You can try a plastic owl to scare birds off.
But then the birds will laugh at you.
Diane
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2014, 10:31:41 am »
You can try a plastic owl to scare birds off.
But then the birds will laugh at you.

better to build some predator bird nesting boxes to encourage REAL owls/hawks/etc to nest near by. Then you're talking real ecosystems.
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Offline Vin S

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2014, 11:05:19 am »
You can try a plastic owl to scare birds off.
But then the birds will laugh at you.
That's great LMAO thanks.
" There is no such thing as a bad beer. It's that some taste better than others." Billy Carter

Offline erockrph

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2014, 01:01:51 pm »
You can try a plastic owl to scare birds off.
But then the birds will laugh at you.

better to build some predator bird nesting boxes to encourage REAL owls/hawks/etc to nest near by. Then you're talking real ecosystems.

+1 - I live in the middle of the woods, but I have a barred owl, a family of hawks, and a fox den in the area. I've never had an issue with pests in the garden smaller than a turkey or deer.
Eric B.

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Offline euge

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2014, 01:09:06 pm »
I have possums, cats, grackles, hawks and the odd turkey-vulture. Bees and wasps galore...


Wish I lived in the middle of the woods. But I don't miss ticks either.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline Slowbrew

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #10 on: June 02, 2014, 01:15:37 pm »
I have possums, cats, grackles, hawks and the odd turkey-vulture. Bees and wasps galore...


Wish I lived in the middle of the woods. But I don't miss ticks either.

Add to the list rabbits, bats, racoons and an eagle now and then.

Paul
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?

Offline euge

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #11 on: June 02, 2014, 01:53:00 pm »
Oh yes definitely bats... And forgot about the red squirrels that clean my pecan tree. Any racoons will be near the watercourses and dumpsters. Destructive bastids. I've yet to see a skunk around slab construction- they live in the older part of town.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline pete b

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #12 on: June 03, 2014, 12:12:49 pm »
The bats we encourage. We have a house for them so they eat mosquitos and we use the little bit of guano. We have hawks and owls but they don't seem to discourage the chipmunks that have been casing our garden. The chipmunks wouldn't be such a problem if not for a penchant of taking one bite out of ten tomatoes instead of just eating one tomato. Our old dog used to keep the varmints away but not our boxer. I had to put an electric fence around the bees because of all the bears.
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline Slowbrew

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #13 on: June 03, 2014, 12:32:41 pm »
I use a pellet rifle on the gofers and the rabbits.  There is a never supply of little varmints to destroy the gardens though.

Paul
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?

Offline euge

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Re: Birds keep stealing workers
« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2014, 01:38:09 pm »
I have a nice Benjamin 392PA .22 that can get the job done.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis