I never see Maggie alone

Lone · February 20, 2009, 06:46:06 AM

Hello,

Are there any other Aussies who have had a problem with magpies that have the taste for their bees? What solutions are there when birds sit on the hive frame and gobble bees up, then bring their mates to join in the feast? There are a couple of maggies here that have been caught red-beaked, and another 3 or 4 in gobbling range.

Does anyone have the recipe for magpie pie?

Lone

Michael Bush · February 20, 2009, 07:07:00 AM

I wonder if your magpies are the same as ours? I've never seen ours eating bees, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't. They are certainly smart.

BjornBee · February 20, 2009, 07:53:17 AM

I remember a childs book that dealt with something like this. I think the next step is a cat. "The cat ate the bird, the bird ate the......" :-D

JP · February 20, 2009, 09:01:27 AM

You could maybe talk to these people http://www.bird-x.com/birdxpeller-pro-p-24.html

You could install netting large enough for the bees to exit but not the magpies.

...JP

Bennettoid · February 20, 2009, 02:37:37 PM

Birds, bats, hornets. It never seems to end.

NWIN Beekeeper · February 21, 2009, 04:28:46 AM

If you like apple flavor, you could smear your bees with "bitter apple".
After a few I think they would move on to 'less green pastures'.

Lone · February 21, 2009, 08:23:37 AM

And tonight the neighbour rang to say there were 50 bee birds at their place where I have the other hive.

Michael, our magpies are a black and white Australian bird with a distinctive warble. A lot of folk tame them and feed them, which happened here and I assume created the trouble I have now when they stopped feeding them.

Bjorn, I think the old lady swallows the bee, and I suppose after that she swallows a gecko.

I am thinking about the netting idea JP. I'm not sure how I could make it without a frame that the birds can perch on.

Bennettoid, the bats are another issue...basically the bat problem here keeps the local paper going each week.

Nwin, can you explain that a bit more, please? What is bitter apple and how do you smear it and are the bees happy about that situation?

Thanks all for your replies.

Lone

NWIN Beekeeper · February 21, 2009, 08:54:12 AM

[What is bitter apple and ...]

Its a paste product that we use here in the states to keep our pet dogs from chewing on things like the furnature or our favorite shoes. It is so sour/bitter that they take one bite and never return.

I used it as a joke, as I know it is nearly impossible to catch each and every bee and dash them with this.
However, it would be interesting if you could teach birds a lession with a product like such.

Cheers Mate.

tlynn · February 21, 2009, 09:46:02 AM

We have a small finch that hangs out around our hives and picks off the dying or DFW bees from the ground. Never seen him grabbing bees out of the air or from the entrance. He's there every morning to fill up.

Michael Bush · February 21, 2009, 05:05:34 PM

>our magpies are a black and white Australian bird with a distinctive warble

Our magpies are a black and white American bird with a distinctive warble

gmcharlie · February 21, 2009, 05:19:03 PM

we have robins and jays here in the USA that occisonal create a problem, seen it a few times never bothered with them. HOWEVER I do know how to deal with the pest... simple chicken wire. the magpies are there because its a focal point. like bears on salmon... use some chicken wire to keep them back from the entrances a cpl feet or better and them will soon not bother even trying. keep them out of beak range of the entrance and they are just as good off in the flower patch.

MustbeeNuts · February 21, 2009, 06:04:02 PM

I have a fly catcher that comes and eats a few each morning and evening. I thnk my neighbors cat took care of that problem.

poka-bee · February 22, 2009, 01:14:42 AM

We don't have magpies on this side of the mtns, they are all over in Eastern WA. Must be too wet. I have never seen a mantis on this side either. I don't think there is anything that bothers my bees, even the chix leave em alone. J

acepestdetective · February 22, 2009, 06:50:28 PM

Quote from: JP on February 20, 2009, 09:01:27 AM
You could maybe talk to these people http://www.bird-x.com/birdxpeller-pro-p-24.html

You could install netting large enough for the bees to exit but not the magpies.

...JP

Sonic devices are on the whole a waste of time and money. Sometimes they will work to an extent but most animals grow accustomed to them after a while and then it's downhill from there i'm afraid.

Lone · February 22, 2009, 10:27:25 PM

Hello,

NWIN, it would be no trouble to put bitter apple on the bees when they are in the crush to be branded.

Tlynn, what does DFW mean?

Michael, according to the internet the difference between our warble and yours is that ours is flute-like in duets or choruses, and yours is a harsh chattering. http://www.austmus.gov.au/factsheets/australian_magpie.htm
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Black-billed_Magpie.html

Gmcharlie, I thought the birds might perch on the wire.

Mustbenuts, the kitties here are too well fed.

Poka-bee, you can have some of our magpies if you like.

Acepestdetective, but the gas guns in the orchard next door scare our dogs even if they don't scare the birds.

Thanks for your replies boys and girls. Someone suggested hanging up cds to keep them away. Does anyone know what kind of music a magpie wouldn't like?

Lone

JP · February 23, 2009, 12:39:25 AM

Lone, Magpies wouldn't like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5f_gbzo4Q0

...JP

gmcharlie · February 23, 2009, 09:35:48 AM

they will perch on it a bit, but if its far enough away that they cant reach the focal point for the bee landings they will be forced to be air grabbers.... not very succesful at that, if they were they could just catch them on flowers. (which a few do) your goal is to move them away from that landing pad thats easily covered with bees. For them that bad is like fishin in an aqurioum..... move them back so that can't reach the easy targets

acepestdetective · February 23, 2009, 03:16:24 PM

Lone.

Gas guns are a totally different kettle of fish and will scare birds off far better than the acoustic devices seen on the link in the afore mentioned website.

Failing that, hire a hawk for a week and catch em :)

Brian D. Bray · February 23, 2009, 06:35:17 PM

Quote from: acepestdetective on February 23, 2009, 03:16:24 PM
Lone.

Gas guns are a totally different kettle of fish and will scare birds off far better than the acoustic devices seen on the link in the afore mentioned website.

Failing that, hire a hawk for a week and catch em :)

Get one of those dummy Owls and set it on top of a hive, that should keep all the birds away.

tlynn · February 24, 2009, 12:52:47 AM

Quote from: Lone on February 22, 2009, 10:27:25 PM

Tlynn, what does DFW mean?

Deformed wing virus. I had been battling a high mite load in a hive, and the mites pass the virus to the larvae, which turns out bees with crinkled up wings. They get kicked out of the hive and crawl around on the ground until they expire.

Tracy