Bees feeding on chicken feed...

[roamingchick]

I Have Hundreds Of Bees Feeding On My Chicken Feed Why? What Kind Of Bee? Will TheY Sting Or Hurt My Birds? How Can I Get TheM To Go away

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Can you put your feed in a sealed bin? I'd assume they are wasps. They like the taste of the feed, especially if it's moist. The wasps could sting a chicken.

 

[roamingchick]

My Feed Is Kept In Sealed Containers Until I Scoop It Into Feed Container Which Is Where Bees Are Hanging Out, They Do Not Look Like Wasp? Almost Look Like A Small Honey Bee Which Is Baffling. Feed Is Dry Also.

 

[BBQJOE]

I have a feeder that is self replenishing. Last summer I had the same problem. At one point there were hundreds of bees swarming the feeder. So I emptied the feeder of the mash and put in scratch instead. It didn't matter to them, they liked that just as well.

After all the waste from the chickens spreading their feed everywhere, and trying to fend off the bees, that's when I decided to go with two feedings and a day of wet mash.
The chickens just eat it without spreading it all over the place, and the bees will have nothing to do with it.

Try it.

 

[roamingchick]

Thanks, SoThe Bees Are 100% Honey Bees, Seems They Are Looking For Pollen Not Eating Feed Not Caring What KiND Of Pollen They Are Going Crazy On Cracked Corn And Grain. I Feel Bad For The Honey Bees They Just Are Looking For Something Nature Has Not Yet Supplied So I Will Put Out Some Dry Pollen Substitute And Try Feeding Chickens Smaller Rations More Frequent Through Out The DaY Hopefully Soon Flowers AndPlants Will Start Budding And Bees Can Get Better Fresh Pollen.

 

[BBQJOE]

The really weird thing is, I put out a separate bowl of mash for them just a small ways away from the feeder,and they wanted noting to do with it.

 

[Bush84]

This time of year honeybees will go after anything resembling pollen. They will even collect sawdust. This will most certainly stop once they have flowers to go after. They will always choose the real thing over chicken food. You can either just deal with it until flowers bloom or try to outsmart them. My guess is that the bees would not be interested if it was not dry. Or if you just fed them what they could eat in one sitting the bees may eventually give up. You could try moving around a bit but I would suspect the bees will just find it again. My bees are always looking for something to do/eat in early spring and late fall.

 

[RattleCan]

As already mentioned, they are likely honeybees. And this time of the year they are hungry with no good source of food since flowers haven't started to bloom yet. This forces them to seek out nutrition elsewhere, and animal feed is normally a good source of it. Sweet feeds are more likely to attract them since they want the sugar in the molasses, but there's sugar in corn too and most poultry feeds contain ground corn so it's like a delicious smelling buffet to the bees. They'll likely move along in a couple of days as they seek out new food sources or a new place to build a hive, but since waiting for them to leave on their own can be frustrating, your best bet is to seek out a local beekeeper. Beekeepers will usually jump at the chance to collect a free swarm of bees, and they'll usually come collect them off of your property for free. It's safer for you and the chickens if someone experienced handles the bees, but at the same time you're saving them and letting them go to a new home without killing them. And right now, we need all the honey bees we can get!

 

[Bush84]

They are not collecting the feed as a replacement for nectar they are collecting it as a replacement for pollen. There is a difference. They aren't looking for sugar they are looking for protein. They will not likely move along in a couple of days. They are also not likely a swarm. A swarms job is not to forage but to find a new home. It's also to early in the year for swarms. That of course will depend on where you live but I believe the op was from the ne. Unless you know exactly where the bees are coming from calling a beekeeper won't be helpful. It's more likely that they are coming from some bodies hive. Bees can fly up to three miles away from their hive. When do you normally see trees or flowers blooming in your area?

 

[RattleCan]

They are not collecting the feed as a replacement for nectar they are collecting it as a replacement for pollen. There is a difference. They aren't looking for sugar they are looking for protein. They will not likely move along in a couple of days. They are also not likely a swarm. A swarms job is not to forage but to find a new home. It's also to early in the year for swarms. That of course will depend on where you live but I believe the op was from the ne. Unless you know exactly where the bees are coming from calling a beekeeper won't be helpful. It's more likely that they are coming from some bodies hive. Bees can fly up to three miles away from their hive. When do you normally see trees or flowers blooming in your area?

My reply was mostly based on a mishap my neighbor had with what I believe may have been a swarm that were enjoying some sweet feed he had on hand. After looking a bit more into it myself, Bush is totally right on all counts. It's probably to early up here for swarms (and when I say swarm, I essentially mean a solid mass of bees that stayed together, not just several here and there coming and going), and they're looking for protein sources, not sugar. I suppose when I read OP's post I pictured a mass of bees like my neighbor had, not just bees coming from and going to a hive. I'm no beekeeper so I would definitely take Bush's word over mine