LIZZARDS HELP BEEKEEPING

Apis629 · June 13, 2005, 09:22:50 PM

Just this evening about fifteen minutes ago I noticed something that I thought was very...interesting. My hive was installed as a package on June 8th of this year and I noticed a wax moth trying to get into the enterence. Needles to say the enterence was small so the bees attacked it and it fell about 8" to the ground. There was a lizzard between the cinderblocks that the hive stands on(I assume eating stuff that fell through the SBB). Suddenly it bolted out, grabbed the moth in its mouth and ran into some high grasses and vines. Has anyone else noticed something simmilar to this?

Michael Bush · June 13, 2005, 10:38:07 PM

Hmmm. I've lived in the midwest most all of my life. I've seen about three lizards that I can think of in that 51 years. All were five line skinks. None were near a hive.

Joseph Clemens · June 13, 2005, 10:39:55 PM

Around here there are so many small hungry mouths (especially reptiles and amphibians), I can't say for sure if they are of overall benefit to my bees or a negative influence. I haven't observed them eating moths, yet.

I have both of my apiaries in blinds of 6 foot high shade cloth. During the day lizards are fighting for territory on the shade cloth. Whenever a bee lands on the shade cloth a lizard will quickly swoop in and gobble it up, that is, whenever a bird doesn't beat them to it. At night the toads sit sentinel, one or two in front of each hive entrance. Even though the hives are up on concrete blocks the toads manage to eat their fill each night.

I am hoping that the bees that get eaten are predominantly those that are old, weak, ill, or otherwise in need of being eaten.

bill · June 13, 2005, 11:38:25 PM

I saw a scissortaail standing under my hive waiting for bees to fall and eat one . I hollered at him and he left. mockingbirds peck fruit if you dont get it when it gets ripe. ground squirrels bite holes in my drip lines to get a drink of water roaming dogs get my chickens. horny toads eat the ants, and if lizards live on insects, as long as they don't go in the hive and pig out they are a friend to me. and I don't begrudge them a few bees.

Apis629 · June 14, 2005, 01:43:37 AM

The lizzard I saw looked more like an annole than a skink. It was mostly green exept for its throat flap that was a bright red. It was maybe 2-3 inches long.

wingmaster · June 14, 2005, 08:09:15 AM

:D I have a few that are around my hives all the time. They canâ€™t get up to the entrance but they do hang out around the hive and wait for week bees or other things that the workers carry out of the hive. There are two that seem to know when I work the hive they will be a free meal around they will come right up to me and wait for any wounded bees that fall on the ground and when they do they run out and get them even when they are right under my feet. I know they can not get to the healthy bees so they will not harm the hive. If they could get to the entrance and eat healthy bees they might be a problem.
:? I have my hives up on stands that are lizard and ant proof but I have had them get eaten by larger animals that can jump up to the entrance. I have had some large rats that have really been eating a lot of bees. I thought it was a skunk but I was amazed when I saw a rat jump up and hang off of the entrance and eat bees. They almost wiped out one hive completely. So I have gone to war with the roof rats and the bees are doing better. But I have one that seems to be real smart. He has even moved rat traps out of the way without setting them off to get to the bees. We never had these kind of rats here in Arizona before so the roof rats are a new predator that seem to have a taste for bees. Anyone know of some good rat traps for very large rats. This guy just laughs at the snap traps I have used so far. I may have to just stay up few nights with the pellet gunâ€¦.

Apis629 · June 14, 2005, 12:04:00 PM

You could set up one of those cages designed to catch racoons but bait is with peanut butter.

Apis629 · June 14, 2005, 12:04:06 PM

You could set up one of those cages designed to catch racoons but bait is with peanut butter.

FordGuy · June 14, 2005, 08:56:29 PM

I am glad you posted that - I have screened bottom boards - I also have anoles that live under teh hives and appear to eat the moths and hive beetles that fall through the screen. I assume they also take bees that have reached the end of their lives and fall off the edge of the landing board. some one needs to write a research paper on anoles and hive beetles.

Finsky · June 14, 2005, 09:18:52 PM

I have met a couple lizards under the hive which bees have killed with stings. I can imagine that they have went to warm landing board and bees have attached. Lizards had several stings in their skin.

Rich V · June 14, 2005, 11:46:27 PM

Never saw a lizard,but we have toads.

BigRog · June 16, 2005, 02:17:48 AM

Wingmaster, I am interested in your lizard and ant proof hive stands
Mostly the ant part.
Here in VA ants are obnoxiously present

wingmaster · June 19, 2005, 10:06:56 AM

I built my bottom boards with 4 pipes that are about 8â€ long and I set them in cans that I fill with vegetable oil. Ants canâ€™t pass the mote. And keeps the have bottom off the hot ground. I have taken temps just under the frames with hives sitting on the ground and hive with an air space of about 9â€ and it was around 3 degrees between them. Itâ€™s hot here so anything that helps keep them cooler is worth doing. There is a guy on ebey thatâ€™s selling a hive stand that looks just like mine less the cans. Itâ€™s not hard to make one.