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honeybees took over the hummer stations and now they are dying
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Posted by dirtgirl (My Page) on Wed, Sep 19, 07 at 13:05
Several weeks ago I suddenly had honeybees show up at the hummer feeders...I posted about it here if I recall. We are in a major drought and it's a scramble to be the first one to nectar at any surviving flowering plants. Many suggested I set out a shallow separate tray of sugar water for the bees. I did, and what happened was that my entire front yard became a bee destination. Despite an allergy to stings, I don't really mind this as long as I am very careful and move slowly and deliberately around them. I don't know if there was more than one hive involved, but I even took pictures of their gatherings, which look like swarms you'd see in the spring. THe hummers had no chance. The bees have been consuming a 64 oz pitcher of sugar water (same ratio as the hummers, 4:1) or more DAILY. And this is only in the pots and pans I have set out. They also cover the feeders so that the hummers can only try their best to feed. I have tried moving the feeders to various different locations and they are relocated within about 10 minutes.
Then this morning something happened. I went out to check the level of feed in the largest pan and it was full of about 5 inches of dead and dying honeybees. I have no idea what caused this. I have very seldom seen a bee fall into the feed and drown, and I always lay a small twig across the surface anyway, just in case. I had not filled this pan from last night anyway so it could not have been a drowning deathtrap. THere are still bees at the other feeding sites. just not as many. I am guessing a few hundred must have been in the bottom of the pan.
I have been reading about colony collapse and of course there are other things affecting hives nationwide as well, but I wonder what the heck happened?
BTW, the nectar is the same as in all the feeders so I know it was not a contaminated batch. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: honeybees took over the hummer stations and now they are dyin
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| Any Sevin dust used in the area?? |
RE: honeybees took over the hummer stations and now they are dyin
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nope.
I try to do things chem free if at all possible.
There must have been a few hundred dead bees in the pan, and the numbers of bees to be found still feeding dropped significantly. then within a few hours the numbers of bees feeding at the pans was back up to normal. I am wondering if over time several hives fairly close to here have gradually been finding the nectar and moving all their operations to my yard.
I tried today to find the hive, and got pretty far off into the woods before I ran out of time. Most of the bees are heading north east but a few seem to be going south.
I definitely must be careful out there...they cling to your clothes without any hostile intentions and all it would take is to get one down your neck or between your arm and your side while walking to get stung and then the whole mess of them would be in an uproar. |
RE: honeybees took over the hummer stations and now they are dyin
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| If these are truly honeybees, your local extension service might be very interested to test those dead bees to help determine what's happening to our honeybees. |
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