Asian giant hornets pose a serious threat to the declining bee population within the United States, and scientists have now raised their concerns. What is particularly surprising is the fact that no one understands how the insect came to the US in the first place. And it is worrying that it might spread to other states. How then do you protect yourself and your honey bees? Read on to find out.
Read More »An Overview of Mason Bee Pests, Parasites and Predators
Mason bees are highly sensitive and require little management when compared to the honey bee. They are particularly prone to pesticides. It is therefore the responsibility of those who use pesticides in their lawn or garden, to ensure it does not drift into the mason bee houses. Flowering plants should also be free from pesticides, since the bees forage on these plants. This is not the only challenge faced by the mason bee. Pests, parasites and predators target mason bees as well. Consequently, they should be protected. This should be an all-season work on your part, leaving no chance for these enemies of the mason bee to attack.
Read More »Beehive Mesh – Adding a Mesh to Keep Out Predators
Beekeepers often ensure security for their honeybees by adding a mesh around the beehive to keep out predators. This is usually in addition to other preventive and active measures they take. Proper beehive security depends on the proper setup, management and maintenance of all the security measures you use in your beekeeping operation. Honeybees have a number of predators of different types. When you leave honeybee colonies in your apiary vulnerable, they are attacked by birds, small animals, and large animals. This article explores the safety of beehives with a detailed investigation of the use of meshes around beehives to keep out predators.
Read More »How to Make a Yellow Jacket Trap: DIY Beekeeping
The traps used to capture and kill yellow jackets can either be bought from the various manufacturers, or you can make a DIY trap at home. DIY yellow jacket traps have a number of advantages over commercially made and sold traps. This article will guide you on how to make a yellow jacket trap of your choice.
Read More »How to Protect Honey Bees from Yellow Jackets
Honey bee pests are a constant problem for many beekeepers. Particularly for new beekeepers, they can be very challenging and heartbreaking. One of these pests that can cause problems to beekeepers is the yellow jacket wasp. If a beekeeper does not identify the pest early, yellow jackets can quickly destroy a thriving honey bee colony. It is imperative for beekeepers to know how to protect honey bees from yellow jackets in order to save them from the stress of dealing with a yellow jacket invasion. Remember that yellow jackets are considered useful in crop agriculture, so focus on controlling the population of yellow jackets only around your apiary.
Read More »How to Protect Honey Bees and Mason Bees from Birds
Beekeeping is not only one of the most fulfilling hobbies, but it also a most rewarding venture for agriculturists. There are, however, some limiting factors, including honey bee predators, being one of the biggest challenges to beekeepers. Some of these include: beetles, rodents, wasps, ants, mammals, and birds. Poor hive management that leads to improper mitigation of these pests and predators certainly weakens the bee colony. While honey bees may instinctively keep off most of their enemies using their stinger, they sometimes require some assistance from the beekeeper. The tiny bee is a target of small to large predators making it an insurmountable task for a single colony to defend itself from all these predators and pests. Some predators eat the honey bees as a whole whereas others are parasitic, sucking the life out of the bees. In this article, we will discuss how to protect honey and mason bees from birds.
Read More »Do Dragonflies Eat Honey Bees? Are They a Threat?
Dragonflies are beautiful and intelligent creatures. The dragonfly stands as a symbol of transformation in many cultures throughout the whole world. This is the reason why they have been used as a perfect theme for a kid’s room as transformation is taking place. This is not the only transformation for kids, but also a transformation for you.
Read More »Protecting Beehives from Raccoons
Beekeepers must understand the challenges that come with their work. Keeping off predators is part of the job and it takes effort to keep bee colonies safe. It is less understood how much it takes to raise bees in terms of the time, money, and manpower invested in the business. The sweet honey in addition to other honey bee products, is a result of hard work. Predators and pests pose a serious risk to honey bees. Raccoons also referred to as “coons”, are tiny mammals that prefer to roam about at night. They are found throughout the United States but most common in dry or arid western plains. In this article, we'll discuss how to protect your beehives from raccoons.
Read More »How to Protect Honeybees from Bears
Among the many predatory animals that are bad news for honeybees, bears rank quite high. Whether a grizzly or black bear, honeybees do not look forward to the day a bear visits their beehive. At best, the bear gets to the brood quickly and eats their fill and then leaves the beehive. In most cases however, a honeybee colony is lost when a bear attacks a beehive. While the bear eats honey, its main target is usually the larvae in the brood chambers. The high protein content of larvae and honeybee eggs makes them prime targets for bears. This article looks at how bears damage beehives and the honeybee colonies in them. It also shares tips on how to protect honeybees from bears.
Read More »How to Protect Honey Bees from Ants
It is important for beekeepers to protect honey bees from ant invasions. There are a variety of methods to keep the problem in check. Beehive management incorporates these methods to keep ants from entering beehives. In this article we'll discuss how to protect honey bees from ants in your beekeeping operation.
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