Swallow/Swift.

[Cellectronic]

Morning All
Some of my hives are located under a few Oak trees.
Earlier today I have observed Swallows/Swifts patrolling around these trees and they are almost certainly hunting flies etc, Would they eat bees I wonder ?
I hope not especially since there are about 5 virgin queens in Apideas needing to mate.

 

[peteinwilts]

they do, and can be a risk to a nice plump virgin queen.

however, drones are also sizeable and will be decoys. Queens do get eaten on mating flights, but thankfully not too often.

 

[jonnybeegood]

They will take bees but they wont make much impact on a hive numbers, think of it as helping save the swallows, the odds on a queen being taken are highh with not just bees but all the flies being taken too. If they are flying around the oak tree they are probsbly taking midges. I have swallows nestjng here & have for 15 years. They are usually off elsewhere feeding during the day & only take a few bees late evening, think of it as a challenge for your bees & the healthiest will get away

 

[peteinwilts]

the odds on a queen being taken are highh

I would rather low odds for a queen being taken!

 

[jonnybeegood]

I would rather low odds for a queen being taken!

You can tell i dont do any gambling Lol i was meaning high like 100-1 rather than 10-1 Doh! I guess its low then, ive never betted in my life, can you tell

 

[Cellectronic]

Ok, Thanks for the re-assurance,
Different question for your opinion now , How close can Apideas be to each-other ( 30cm apart ?) on a scaffold board possibly with different colors on the entrance .
I have 4 to open tonight , I wanted to keep them on a plank to deter ants .

 

[peteinwilts]

different colours\orientations work ok.

If ants are a problem, I paint the bottom of stand legs with grease paint for drainpipes. Horrible stuff if you need to move the stand though.

 

[jonnybeegood]

Ok, Thanks for the re-assurance,
Different question for your opinion now , How close can Apideas be to each-other ( 30cm apart ?) on a scaffold board possibly with different colors on the entrance .
I have 4 to open tonight , I wanted to keep them on a plank to deter ants .

Is the plank hovering? How would that deter snts, they can climb virtually anything.

 

[Finman]

P.
I have 18 swift bird houses in my cottage trees. I have not ever seen, that swifts capture bees or drones.

I do not believe either that swallows harvest bees. I have not seen any flying around my yard.

Bees have their stings.

 

[Cellectronic]

The plank will be supported on a couple of bricks that have grease bands fitted.
This way the ants wont be able to climb up t the Apidea.

 

[Finman]

Ok, Thanks for the re-assurance,
Different question for your opinion now , How close can Apideas be to each-other ( 30cm apart ?) on a scaffold board possibly with different colors on the entrance .
.

Why they should be so close?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

think of it as a challenge for your bees & the healthiest will get away��

Bit like foxhunting really

 

[jonnybeegood]

P.
I have 18 swift bird houses in my cottage trees. I have not ever seen, that swifts capture bees or drones.

I do not believe either that swallows harvest bees. I have not seen any flying around my yard.

Bees have their stings.

Yes bees have stings, i wonder how Beeaters eat them then dur! Probably because swallows take them in flight & squish them with their beak?
I guess if theyre not flying around your yard then clearly they arent taking your bees but thats hardly reason to not believe they dont take them.

 

[Cellectronic]

Why they should be so close?

Well they dont have to be close together I could space them out more, I have seen some in rows 30cm apart all facing same direction (Youtube) .
I am open to any expert opinions. Thanks.

 

[Finman]

Yes bees have stings, i wonder how Beeaters eat them then dur! Probably because swallows take them in flight & squish them with their beak?
I guess if theyre not flying around your yard then clearly they arent taking your bees but thats hardly reason to not believe they dont take them.

Ha ha ha. I trust on my eyes. They do not eate bees. Question is about your believing.
You do not know how swift capture food.

Beeeater is bee eater. It is shown in TV tens of times how it treat bees after capturing.

 

[Finman]

Probably because swallows take them in flight & squish them with their beak?
-2:

A little bit facts to that.

You should know that even dead bee can sting. Bee eater like tit takes abdomen off.

 

[Dishmop]

I do not believe either that swallows harvest bees. I have not seen any flying around my yard.

Perhaps they dont like cold food..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ha ha ha. I trust on my eyes. They do not eate bees. Question is about your believing.
You do not know how swift capture food.

I was going to agree with you but I found this from the RSPB.

Swifts can be quite selective about what they catch. One was found to have caught only stingless drones around bee hives, and to have neatly dodged all the females, which had stings
It is one sentence from a quite extensive article on Swifts
http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/Amazing swift facts_tcm9-279347.pdf

 

[Finman]

.
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.

 

[jonnybeegood]

I was going to agree with you but I found this from the RSPB.

Swifts can be quite selective about what they catch. One was found to have caught only stingless drones around bee hives, and to have neatly dodged all the females, which had stings
It is one sentence from a quite extensive article on Swifts
http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/Amazing swift facts_tcm9-279347.pdf

Why were you going to agree if you didnt know?