Protecting bees from ants, mice, wasps, tits. Are birds enemies of bees? Great tit Fighting wax moths

The greatest threat to the normal existence and development of insects and their families during the period of intensive honey collection comes from various types of pests.

The main danger comes from:

• ants;
• slugs;
• wax moth;
• death's head butterflies;
• hornets and wasps;
• mice;
• all mouse-like rodents.

Among the dangerous birds are tits, sparrows, bee-eaters, bee-eaters, and shrikes.

Fighting ants

It will only take time to get rid of uninvited guests who steal honey, attack bees, destroy brood and can infect with pathogens.

Protection of bees from ants does not require special labor and costs

It is advisable to use:

• Salt. Treat the soil around the hives with a saline solution (1 liter of water + 200 g of salt), and sprinkle the bottom inside with salt.
• Fresh tomato leaves. Their smell repels insects, so several of these leaves can be placed around bee nests.
• Mustard. The persistence of mustard allows you to get rid of ants for a long time. Just sprinkle this powder around the hives.

Mice

Protecting insects from mice comes down to the use of traps, mousetraps, and traps. It is necessary to eliminate all cracks and holes in the hives. Protection against these and other rodents should be especially reliable in winter. Otherwise, once they get into the hive, they can do a lot of harm. In winter, they eat bees and honey, and once they get into a honeycomb storage facility, they destroy part of the honeycombs. To exterminate mice, it is advisable to attract domestic cats.

Wasps

Protecting insects from wasps and hornets is also of great importance for the preservation of the apiary. The danger of wasps is that they attack bees, enter their homes and steal bee food supplies.

It is better to destroy female wasps in the spring, using homemade traps from bottles with honey solution. This is a kind of protection against annoying pests. It is better to destroy wasp nests by spraying them with chlorophos or filling them with carbon disulfide.

tits

Protection of bees from tits is required in late autumn and winter. By knocking their beaks on the wall of the hive, they guard and eat crawling bees. Tits should not be destroyed, but protection from them is also necessary. To save bees, you should scare away these annoying birds. You can make a canopy over the entrance from metal or nylon mesh.

Categories

Protecting bees from birds in winter is a very important measure when bee colonies winter in the wild. This problem is especially relevant in cold, snowy winters, when birds have virtually nowhere to find food for food.

The primary enemies of bees at this time are tits and woodpeckers. But if woodpeckers can still find food for themselves by chiseling trees, then tits can become a real natural disaster for the entire apiary.

They massively devour dead bees that leave the hive, having exhausted their life resources. But this is not enough for them. When hunger cannot be satisfied, they sit on the flight boards of the hive and lure the bees outside. In this article you will learn how to protect bees from birds in winter.

When done correctly, most hives are placed in orchards. The gardens themselves are home to most birds.

But, if in spring, summer and autumn there is enough food for them (the orderlies of our gardens devour various caterpillars, butterflies and flies), then in winter the situation changes. They can harm the apiary.

In winter, you can often see, especially in the mornings, tits sitting in flocks in the garden. They sometimes go down to the hives, and it seemed that they did not pose any threat to the bee families. But this is only at first glance.

The instinct of every bee colony is to protect its nest from outside interference in winter and summer.

But if in summer a family can easily fight off any attack by an animal or insect, then in winter the situation is a little different.

Bees are inactive outside it. Not only are the bees lethargic due to the cold, but every individual that breaks away from the group is susceptible to death and freezes.

But their instinct to protect their nest is not lost even in winter. This is what tits take advantage of.

Protecting bees from birds and wind in winter.

After collecting dead bees, tits switch to live ones. They sit on landing boards near the entrances and lure the bees out.

It is believed that they knock near the entrance, and some bees react to the noise (instinct is triggered) and leave the hive. This is what the tit needs; the lethargic bee quickly turns into food.

In my beekeeping practice, I have never seen tits knocking at their entrances.

I think that for this you need to install hidden camera and record everything on video. The birds are too shy, and when a person approaches, they fly away.

But I think that the tit not only knocks, but the very presence of a foreign living creature at the entrance already excites the bees in winter.

They react with a friendly roar, and if the aggressor does not leave or fly away, they stick out into the entrance. And this is what feathered predators need.

Thus, the harm from tits is double. Not only do they devour our workers, but they also excite the entire bee family.

And because of this, wintering gets worse. The winter calm of the bees is disturbed; they consume more feed. Because of this, their intestines are more loaded with feces.

And as a result, bee colonies will be weakened in the spring. And this is a direct dependence on the honey apiary as a whole.

All protection of bees from birds in winter is based on the principle of preventing birds from entering the hive entrances. But at the same time, it is necessary to provide the bees with proper ventilation.

Also, do not forget about free passage in the hive for 1 - 2 bees, since, again, their instinct is that a dying bee leaves the hive during wintering so as not to harm the whole family.

And the last principle is the ability of bee colonies to make a cleansing flight during warming.

Protecting bees from birds in winter in my apiary

Protecting bees from tits in winter.

Analyzing the above principles of protecting bees from birds, beekeepers use various devices at the entrances.

Sometimes they block off an entire apiary with fishing nets, but this is too expensive and labor-intensive. Nets also kill too many birds, but they also benefit our gardens.

You can also place bird feeders to distract them from the apiary. In some cases the feeders work, and in others they don’t.

The most reliable methods are to protect the entrances.

To close the entrances, wooden blocks or planks are used, which prevent direct access to birds.

A wooden block or plank is placed on the landing board and placed at some distance from the wall of the hive to make passage for the bees.

It turns out that a tit, having sat on such a block, will not reach the entrance. Now it will be difficult for her to disturb and lure out the bees, no matter how hard she tries.

Beekeepers also use a whole board instead of a plank, which blocks direct access to the entrances. But the principle is the same.

The birds cannot reach the bees, but they can freely fly around or leave the hive to die.

Beekeepers also make special gratings. The base of the grille is a wooden frame. A mesh is attached to the frame, the material of which can be different.

Beekeepers often use potato packing nets. The size of the mesh allows bees to freely pass through the cells, but prevents the passage of tits.

This design can be made in sizes either individually for each taphole or for the entire front wall. The mesh completely blocks access for birds to the entrances.

The mesh has the advantage that it can be installed immediately in the fall and removed in the spring.

If wooden blocks are placed on the landing boards of the hives, the beekeeper needs to remove them during a possible cleansing flight (there are sometimes warm days in winter), and then put them back. Since they partially block the sun and the flow of warm air into the hive.

In this article you learned about how important it is to protect bees from birds in winter.

The birds not only devour bees, but also disturb the entire bee family, which worsens wintering.

Watch a video about how another beekeeper solved this problem of overwintering bees in the wild.

Was the article useful to you? ⇨
Click on the social button. networks!!! ⇨

Hi all!

It is impossible to even imagine our surrounding world, our nature, without such a cute and cheerful tit bird. But many beekeepers have the opinion that tits pose a significant threat to the apiary. I even know one who periodically shoots them in his apiary and in the area.

So, I leafed through several books at my leisure and in each of them, in the chapter “Enemies,” there is a section “Birds”. And the tit is clearly distinguished separately and proudly against the background of all other birds that are enemies of bees: bee-eaters, shrikes, etc.

Today I want to figure out this: can a tit really be so dangerous for bees, what is this danger and how to deal with it? And most importantly: is the tit really the enemy of bees?

It is worth admitting that I read earlier that tits partially satisfy their nutritional needs at the expense of bees and easily find food for themselves in winter. That these fidgety tits sit on the landing boards and begin to knock on the hive with their beaks until the “sleepy” bee leaves the entrance. Here the bird presses the bee with one paw, takes out the entrails with its beak, sucking out the treasured nectar and eats the poor bee whole, often leaving only chitin. But I didn’t think that I would feel significant damage from these white-cheeked beauties, and I hadn’t particularly noticed them in the area before.

What exactly is the danger of the presence of tits in the apiary?

The problem, in my opinion, is specific to i. And it doesn’t mean that the titmouse will eat several bees a day. The main problem is different.

Firstly: the tit, with its knocking, disturbs the peace of the wintering bee colony, the club may begin to loosen, and the bees will worry. A crowded intestine and bustle are not the most suitable company. Diarrhea is possible and, as a result,... Plus, bees will not use honey from worn-out frames for food in the future.

Secondly: my loved ones cannot withstand the pressure of these hooligans at all.

26.03.2018

Sometimes a beekeeper is faced with a task that at first glance is simple, but if it is not solved in time, then you can lose a lot of bees. One such problem that arises in the fall is chickadees. We offer you two articles that talk about exactly this. .

Tits cause great harm to wintering colonies. To protect the bees from these robbers, I take a board with a length equal to the size of the front wall of the hive and a width of 8 - 10 cm. I attach it to the entrance so that the upper side of the board is 2 - 3 cm above the entrance, and the bottom is on the entrance board. Through the gap formed between the board and the wall of the hive, air will freely pass into the hive, and a cautious tit will not dare to climb into the narrow passage. I do this, and the tits don’t even fly up to the hive.

P. F. BODACK.

My apiary constantly winters in its summer camp sites - in the garden. As soon as the ground is covered with snow, tits immediately begin to raid bee colonies.

It’s painful to look at when you see under the trees in the garden in the apiary not white, but gray snow from the remaining bee wings and legs after the tit’s meal. For several years in a row I have been successfully fighting these birds using a special device.

From ordinary construction shingles (for plaster), the width of which is 25 and the thickness is 5 mm, I use small nails to knock down a square with a side of 143 mm (the length of the sides can be increased). After this, on two opposite sides (Fig.) I use a knife to make ten slits (1) up to 3 mm deep on each side at a distance of 13 mm from one another. On the other two opposite sides I make one slot in the middle of the same depth. Then I take an ordinary fishing line with a cross-section of 0.2 or 0.3 mm, at the end of which I tie a knot. I lay it between the adjacent sides of the square, pinch it and bring the free end of the line out to the end side at point A, insert it into slot B and then pull it to the opposite side into slot D, return, work with slots D and E, and so on until the end (2 ). Thus, ten rows of fishing line are obtained at a distance of 13 mm from one another. This size can be increased slightly, but so that the tit’s head does not fit between adjacent rows of fishing line. Next, I stretch the fishing line through the slot O of the top bar into the slot K of the bottom, where I secure its end. In this case, I make sure to wrap the line once around each horizontal line in the places where they intersect (4). This way, all ten stretched fishing lines will be fixed without violating the established distance of 13 mm between them.

Since the fall, I have been hanging the finished devices on two nails on the upper entrance with the side where there are no slots.

Intertwining is not a hindrance for bees; they can always fly around when it warms up. But the tit does not have the opportunity to knock at the entrance and lure out the bees, since its head does not fit through the binding.

When inspecting the device in the spring, I remove it and store it until next fall. Previously, I made weaving from wire, but it rusts and fails, but the fishing line does not deteriorate in any weather.

3.I.OIL.

Beekeeping Magazine.

Anti-swarm measures in the apiary are required to strengthen the bee colony. Depending on climatic conditions, the process occurs in different time and affects the activities of the family, so it is important to know about anti-swarm techniques. In addition, the apiary is subject to attacks by pests and you need to be able to deal with them.

Plywood box as a scion on a tree

Fighting tits in the apiary

Tits attack bees in autumn and winter in search of food. Cunning birds sit on a plank at the entrance and knock until the insects appear. This is how they destroy the bees.

You should not make a hive from polystyrene foam. Birds use their beaks to make holes and enter the house.

There are several ways to combat this pest:

1. Attach a mirror near the entrance. When a tit lands on the landing board, it sees its reflection, gets scared and flies away. If you buy a mirror with a plastic base, you can simply glue it on.
2. The protection is provided by compact discs, which are hung on a rope so that they do not knock against the walls of the hive from the action of the wind. Such shiny and spinning things scare tits.

This half-disc compact protects the taphole

1. Attach inclined plywood boards to the entrance so that only bees can move, or install a metal mesh.

Watch the video on how to deal with titmice

Wax moth control

Wax moths are a type of small butterfly that harm bees. The attitude of beekeepers towards such insects is ambiguous. Some breed it, others fight it. When wax moths eat bee products, they absorb beneficial substances and are therefore considered medicinal. An alcohol tincture is prepared based on the larvae. However, to make such a medicine, an entire hive must be eaten. Not every beekeeper will take such a step.

The moth, shashel, and bloodworm eat literally all beekeeping products, honeycombs and cocoons. The moth does not affect the bees, but if the family is weak, it dies of hunger.

The problem is that the bees are daytime they fly for nectar and engage in . Moth caterpillars come out to hunt only at night. The task of an adult is to find a male, mate and lay eggs, which he diligently hides in the crevices of the hive.

The use of insecticides is excluded; bees may die.

The following methods of moth control exist:

1. Heat treatment of frames. Wax moths do not like high or low temperatures. Therefore, in winter, hives are stored at temperatures below +10 degrees, and frost is destructive for insects. In summer, frames are treated with hot steam. At a temperature of +50 degrees, all individuals at any stage of development die.
2. Salt treatment. Wax moth is sensitive to any changes in pH. Heat treatment The effect is short-term, but the saline solution is long-lasting. The product is poured into the sprayer and the honeycomb is treated.
3. Frames damaged by moths are placed in a separate hive. Then prepare an 80% vinegar solution at the rate of: 200 ml per 1 sq.m. surfaces. The material is impregnated with the product, the honeycomb is covered, and the hive is wrapped in polyethylene. Duration of processing – 3 days.
4. The immortelle plant is used in the fight against moths. Dry raw materials are crushed to a powder and sprinkled on honeycombs. Also, moths do not like the smell of nuts, oregano, mint, hops, wormwood, and elderberry.

Some beekeepers use formalin, which is strictly prohibited, because honey is a food product.

Appearance wax moths on damaged honeycombs

Watch the video on how to deal with wax moths

How to get rid of mice

Bees are often subject to visits from uninvited guests. - double trouble, the honey will eat and stir up the nests, so beekeepers have invented a lot of ways to combat pests.

Mice are dangerous in winter. Exist simple ways getting rid of rodents:

• penetration protection;
• mousetraps;
• poisonous substances.

Mice enter the hive through cracks. In addition, they can chew through the house. Therefore, it is important to cover all kinds of cracks. Also fence with metal mesh. The bottom and roof must be covered with iron sheets, and gratings must be placed on the entrances.

Mousetraps and traps are homemade products, but can be purchased at the store. Catching items are placed next to the hives.

Homemade mousetrap from plastic bottle

Quick-acting poisons are not a humane method, but bees are more expensive than rodents. The following chemicals are used:

• zinc phosphide;
• thallium sulfate;
• fluoroacetamide;
• zoocoumarin;
• ratindan;
• fumarin.

Mice also do not like the smell of plants:

• black root;
• elder;
• mint;
• coriander;
• chamomile.

Each beekeeper determines for himself what is more profitable to use to combat rodents.

How to get rid of ants

Not only are ants undesirable neighbors for bees, but also... During cold weather, insects look for a warm place and nest between the walls of the hive. Here they breed and feed on bee reserves. Therefore, you should get rid of the anthill near the apiary in the summer.

Ants and eggs in a bee hive

The chemicals available are supersulfate, DDT and hexachlorane. Ant paths are treated with preparations. The method not only removes, but also kills insects.

Less expensive traditional methods, among which:

1. Spread the chopped and peeled onions on the apiary.
2. Sulfur not only makes the ants go away, but also kills them.
3. Salt It also works effectively; it is poured near the houses.
4. Cinnamon spice helps get rid of insects forever.
5. The dug anthill is sprinkled with tobacco dust.

You can make a moat and pour sweet water into it. The bees will drink, and the ants will not be able to crawl to the hive.

Prevention of colony swarming

Bee swarming – natural process, which allows you to increase the apiary in the spring. But anti-swarming methods are more often used; it is easier to prevent than to lose bees. This process causes the insects to leave the hive. Such an exit often occurs without a beekeeper. The swarm is grafted onto trees and bushes. One such cluster contains up to 50,000 bees and carries up to 3 kg of honey with it.

Roy is the basis of a future family

How to prevent swarming:

• the beekeeper must constantly expand the nests, change the frames in a timely manner, add foundation and fresh honeycombs;
• implement on time breeding work and remove drones;
• prevent the houses from heating up, ensure good ventilation;
• form anti-swarm layers;
• use multi-body structures and hive beds.

Some beekeepers believe that it is necessary to get rid of queen cells. However, this method does not solve the problem that prolongs swarming, the bees build new honeycombs.

Anti-swarm measures in the apiary

There are various anti-swarming methods that direct insects to collect honey. The best are those that have been tested by beekeepers in practice.

No. 1 Dymari method

The method is only suitable for double-hulled hives.

The queen and brood are left in one house, and the frames are removed in the other. The housings are separated using a grid. After a while, they put up frames with wax and honeycomb.

Many beekeepers use the Dymari method.

The mother is left on the honeycomb, the young bees are moved to another hive. Printed brood is removed, but open brood with the queen bee is not.

No. 2 Dernov method

This method has 3 options:

1. During the daytime, the swarm is transferred to the basement and the brood is taken. In the evening they return it to its place and install the magazine extension. Insects begin work, young animals are added to a weak family.
2. Flight bees are transplanted to another hive, which is placed in the place where the individuals swarmed. The house with insects is turned over reverse side near the empty one. The bees stop swarming and destroy the queen cells. Then they put the hive in place. Flight insects return to their queen.
3. They get rid of the old mother, leaving only the sealed queen cell. To reduce the number of queens, they are removed.

No. 3 Taranov method

Fumigate a nest with bees so that they collect honey in their crops. Separate the swarm, place a gangway nearby, the insects with the queen form a ball, you need to collect it into a swarm. A day later, plant the swarm in the hive.

Watch a video about Taranov’s anti-swarm method

Method No. 4

When bees are actively working, they forget about swarming. Separate the nest with an empty extension. Insects don't like free places, so they begin to actively fill out.

Scion for catching swarms with your own hands

Making a scion is very simple. Knock down the box and paint it green. Then place the honeycomb. Rub the outside of the box with propolis and wax. Hang on a tree. When all the bees occupy the box, move it to a new hive. Scions are placed early in spring or summer.