Someone told me that honeybees will get rid of any black widow spiders in the area. Is there any truth to that?
Negative ---- put hands under a bottom board last week, while moving nuc to ten frame, remembered what could happen and removed it real quick. Four huge Black Widows under BB,about the size of your thumb nail!!!
Too bad, I've got a ton of them around here. Have run into 6 this past week. Every year we seem to get more and more.
Hey Sarge!
Its Mud daubers that do this. Its not that thats all the mud daubers do but the black widows live in the same kinds of places as the daubers live. I think the daubers get the widows and use them as food for their babies. Here at my place there are two types of mud daubers that do this...Some are reddish and the others are chromy looking dark,dark blue.
When I learned this, I also learned that the mud daubers dont sting. I dont know if this part is true but i do know that ive never been stung by one :)
your friend,
john
Yep, this time of year the Black Widows have their egg sacs and seem to be in groups. Once, I flipped over a feeder that had been standing up, leaning against a tree near the hive all summer. We counted 7 big females and numerous males and egg sacs. What a surprise! Been cautious ever since, especially under the hives.
Nelly