Bee’s in the chicken feed – should I worry?

[BlueMouse]

won't do you much good without a queen! I'm now super interested to see what my bees do with my chicken's feed!!

 

[sgtmom52]

You know that and I know that but in other threads this year on this same subject, people were advising that we capture the bees we find working our chicken feed and confine them in an empty hive for their honey production potential.

Won't work. A production hive has anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 bees and requires a queen to thrive.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It is almost impossible to SEE anything that bees do because everything they do inside the hive they do in total darkness and when the hive is opened and light comes in the bees stop doing what ever it was they were doing before the hive was opened and begin doing something else.

That said however they will mix the dust from your chicken feed with diluted honey and pack it into the cells at the bottom of the brood comb where yeasts ferments it and your chicken feed becomes something known as bee bread. Yummy, pass the butter and jam please.

 

[Campine]

You know that and I know that but in other threads this year on this same subject, people were advising that we capture the bees we find working our chicken feed and confine them in an empty hive for their honey production potential.

Impossible, the bees always go back to their queen.

You can buy "pollen patties" for bees to supplement early pollen collection. If you know where the bees are coming from give a box of them to the beekeeper.

 

[permacultured]

Just linking on the the previous discussion about honey bees in the chicken feed, I have a bee hive in my chicken run, both get on perfectly well together and have for about a year now. Yesterday the bees out of the blue started feeding ferociously on the layer meal and have driven off my chickens.
I have also tried to feed them in different places but they are quick to find the new source of layer meal. I am now feeding my chickens scratch corn feed. There is no shortage of pollen for the bees as I have pumpkins and many trees are in flower. Any ideas?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

.... There is no shortage of pollen for the bees as I have pumpkins and many trees are in flower. Any ideas?

Pumpkins and most of the new world crops are almost useless to honey bees. Besides it takes 1,000s of acres of different plants to satisfy a bee hives need for pollen. But any bee hive with only pumpkins as its sole source of protein will soon be a dead bee hive. What kind of trees are blooming? If it is wind pollinated trees like oaks etc then they too are useless as a source of pollen.

In a few days to a week or so better sources of pollen will become available and the bees will change their foraging locations. However you are lucky to have chickens with your bees because Mexico has developed a new test for Africanized honey bees. It is called the chicken test. They tie a chicken up in front of the suspect bee hive and if the bees sting the chicken to death then the bees are officially labeled Africanized "killer" bees.
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/03/birds-and-bees.html

 

[permacultured]

Thank you for that valuable information.

I really did not know that pumpkin flowers are of little use to bees. The trees in flower are of the eucalyptus species but they too are going off flower with the changing season.
There must then be a shortage of some kind in the hive to make them look in unusual places to supply this need. I have only removed three frames of honey the entire season so there is no reason that there should be a shortage of food for them going into Winter.

Just out of interest bees have been massing on the pumpkin leaves and not so much on the flowers which is very strange for me. The pumpkins have powdery mildew if that is any help. The bees behavior generally has been peculiar to say the least.

The chickens have enormous respect for the bees but in no way affect the chickens day to day activities. The Mexican test is very interesting.

 

[cartvogel]

We have the same problem and the feed is not damp.Also same problem with our wild bird feeders

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Pumpkins and most of the new world crops are almost useless to honey bees. Besides it takes 1,000s of acres of different plants to satisfy a bee hives need for pollen. But any bee hive with only pumpkins as its sole source of protein will soon be a dead bee hive. What kind of trees are blooming? If it is wind pollinated trees like oaks etc then they too are useless as a source of pollen.

In a few days to a week or so better sources of pollen will become available and the bees will change their foraging locations. However you are lucky to have chickens with your bees because Mexico has developed a new test for Africanized honey bees. It is called the chicken test. They tie a chicken up in front of the suspect bee hive and if the bees sting the chicken to death then the bees are officially labeled Africanized "killer" bees.
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/03/birds-and-bees.html

Welcome to the BYC flock cartvogel. Allow me to reenter the discussion.

There are flowers and there are flowers. Pumpkins and other members of the cucumber family as well as peppers, beans, tomatoes, many tree species, etc are not good bee forage. Most of these plants evolved in the absence of honey bees and because they have no need to be pollinated by honey bees, these plants never evolved to offer enough nectar or pollen to attract honeybees. However there are 3,500 species of native bees in North America and they all do a yeoman's job pollinating plants. While you failed to list your location I will go out on the roost pole and venture that you are in the Central Valley of California.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Thank you for that valuable information.

I really did not know that pumpkin flowers are of little use to bees. The trees in flower are of the eucalyptus species but they too are going off flower with the changing season.
There must then be a shortage of some kind in the hive to make them look in unusual places to supply this need. I have only removed three frames of honey the entire season so there is no reason that there should be a shortage of food for them going into Winter.

Just out of interest bees have been massing on the pumpkin leaves and not so much on the flowers which is very strange for me. The pumpkins have powdery mildew if that is any help. The bees behavior generally has been peculiar to say the least.

The chickens have enormous respect for the bees but in no way affect the chickens day to day activities. The Mexican test is very interesting.

Since the Winter Solstice the days have been growing longer. That tells both our chickens and the honey bee that the time is approaching to rear young. Therefor the bees are in greater need of protein to raise baby bees. What you see with honey bees working chicken food is normal and natural. When their preferred protein sources are unavailable I have seen them gather powdered and dry cow manure and saw dust to make bee bread. A native American of my acquiesce once told me that, "Everything works if you'll just let it." This is one of those times.