Inside: In addition to birds and bugs, there are many 4-footed animals that eat honey bees. Here’s a look at some of the ways you can control them.
Bees play a vital role as pollinators in many ecosystems But even these busy insects can fall prey to predators looking for an easy meal What animals eat bees in the wild? Let’s explore some of the most common bee predators,
Birds – Frequent Bee Predators
Birds eat insects as a major part of their diet. Bees make up part of this insect buffet for many species. Some varieties particularly prize bees, like the bee-eater bird found in Europe. Other bird species like the summer tanager catch bees on the wing. After grabbing the bee in midair, they knock it against a branch to dislodge the stinger before eating it.
Wasps and Hornets – Bee-Hunting Insects
Though they are close relatives to bees wasps and hornets readily eat their buzzing cousins. Wasps like the beewolf wasp specialize in paralyzing bees to bring back to feed their larvae. Hornets also gorge on bees using their large mandibles to easily tear the bees apart.
Spiders – Sneaky Ambush Predators
Many spiders don’t spin webs to catch prey. Instead they lie in wait to ambush passing insects. Crab spiders camouflage themselves and pounce when a bee comes into range. The bee gets stabbed by the spider’s fangs, injecting venom to paralyze it for eating.
Insectivorous Mammals – Bears, Skunks and More
Some mammals have a taste for bees, seeking out hives to raid. Bears smash into hives to get the protein-rich bee larvae and sugary honey inside. Skunks swat at bees exiting the hive at night. And honey badgers brave stings with their loose skin to feast on larvae and honey.
Other Insects – Beetles, Flies, Ants and More
Bees face threats from predatory insects besides wasps and spiders. Hive beetles and wax moths invade hives to feed on larvae and wax. Robber flies impale bees in midair to inject paralyzing venom. And ants swarm lone bees on flowers to overcome them by force.
While bees do their best to defend themselves with stings, their key to survival is the strength of the hive. By working together, bees can deter many predators. And their role as pollinators helps maintain the diverse ecosystems they live in. Understanding common bee predators provides insight into the challenges bees face.
Raccoons are smart with nimble fingers
Damage from raccoons: Raccoons are big, smart, and quick-fingered animals that will knock off the lid of a hive just to look inside. Raccoons are not the great destroyers that bears are. They will eat honey if they can get it, and they enjoy snacking on bees.
Although raccoons don’t do lots of hive damage, their innate curiosity causes other problems. For example, if they remove a lid, they expose the colony to the elements. It loses its heat and becomes vulnerable to other predators. Even the persistent sound of scraping and prying can disrupt the colony.
What you can do: I like to keep my hives together with tie-downs strapped around the entire thing. The heavy things like rocks or bricks that many people like to put on top are easy for a big raccoon to move. Regardless of your preference, something that holds the lid in place will usually discourage a raccoon.
Opossums will eat bees at the hive entrance
Damage from opossums: Although they have similar habits, opossums are not as large or dexterous as raccoons. At night, opossums may crawl onto the hives, but they are not skilled at removing lids. They often eat dead bees from the ground at the base of a hive (see picture above), but I’ve never seen one break into or damage a hive.
They can, however, disturb the bees by their presence. If they bother the colony enough, the bees will come out of the hole to see what’s going on. When the bees come out, an opossum will just stand on its hind legs and lick them off the board. Yummy in the tummy.
You can fix it by putting the hive on a stand that is at least 18 inches high. This will make it harder for the bees to get to. Some beekeepers move the entrance higher on the hive, perhaps above the brood boxes.
Alternatively, you can use something like a Havahart trap to catch the critters and move them somewhere else.
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What Do Honey Bees Eat – Honey Bee Diet
FAQ
What animal eats the bees?
What is the biggest predator of bees?
What is a bees worst enemy?
What insect do bees eat?
What do bees eat & drink?
Bees mostly eat and drink pollen and nectar from flowers, but there are some differences in bee diets depending on the age of the bee and species. Pollen (mixed with a little nectar) is often stored as food for larvae and deposited in the individual egg cells of solitary species, such as leafcutters and mason bees.
Do bees eat human food?
With the exception of fruit occasionally, bees don’t eat human food. Bees mostly only eat pollen and nectar from flowers. Also, bees don’t eat human bread. However, bees make and eat something called “bee bread,” which is about 75% pollen mixed with honey, nectar, and bee saliva.
What do worker bees eat?
Worker bees eat beebread (a type of fermented pollen) and honey. Nurse bees mash this into a “worker jelly” and add glandular secretions as a garnish. Workers don’t get the special stuff in queen jelly, and their ovaries shrivel. That’s the conventional explanation.
Should you eat bees?
Overall, while there are and considerations associated with consuming bees and their products, it is possible to incorporate them into your diet and lifestyle in a responsible and ethical manner.