I might have a bird problem

Ollie · May 07, 2010, 12:56:48 AM

I think that if your hives are healthy, they can feed the birds too, the only time I would be wary of having one of those , would be when trying to raise queens and get them mated. Field bees I have plenty of, queens take a bit of work. I would move the mating yard but keep a hive or two (with laying queens) in the same spot as that bird.

On the law question well some laws apply to you but if you have enough money, most laws do not apply. If you are dirt poor, all laws apply to you.

:-\

SurprisingWoman · May 07, 2010, 01:41:37 AM

Sometimes the laws apply because they are laws.

Sometimes the laws apply because they are ethical.

c10250 · May 07, 2010, 10:14:19 AM

A summer tannenger is quite small. It will not have any effect on your hive. I have them around my single hive all the time. Vero's (sp?) too. Every once in a while, they swoop down, pick up a bee, and fly off.

Consider that you can loose a thousand bees a day just through old age, this bird will have little effect on your hive.

greenbtree · May 07, 2010, 12:28:00 PM

Scarlet Tanagers don't hang around in groups or flocks and the pair (that female will be on the nest and out of sight) will keep other tanagers out of their territory. I wouldn't worry that he will be making any significant dent in your bee population even if he is using some to feed the chicks. Scarlet Tanagers are not as common as they once were, they prefer fairly heavily wooded areas.

JC

luvin honey · May 07, 2010, 12:55:31 PM

I've never seen a tanager, and my husband saw one once while hunting deep in the woods. Maybe your hives are in a wooded area?

c10250 · May 07, 2010, 01:01:00 PM

Yes. Very wooded.

Goldenrod blooming Bees leaving and entering hive

Shawn · May 07, 2010, 06:32:47 PM

I posted last year about some birds eating my bees. I saw it happen and have seen the results. I had bee butts all over the tops of the hives and around the water buckets. I cant say what the damage to the hive was, population wise, but I can say there were lots of bee parts spread about, more than I could count. I did not shoot the darn birds but thought I should have. CATS, there are lots of them around here, none mine. I started trapping them because why should I have to worry about stepping in their waste or worry about pulling weeds and getting the waste on my hands. The cats were not hurt just relocated. A peron does have the right to protect their livestock, but what is the definition of livestock. I had a guy say his dog was "livestock" due to he was breeding the dog and making money. So all in all I would have to say I agree with the sss.