Tree Frogs and Bees

BlueBee · September 12, 2011, 12:25:02 AM

OK, I found a couple plump looking tree frogs sitting on my double decker nucs tonight. Are these froggies getting fat from eating my bees or the millions of wax moths flying around the hives? I found some of these tree frogs even hide under my nuc cover stones during the day.

And a close up. It is an attractive looking frog isn't it :)

Anybody know what kind of tree frog this is?

JP · September 12, 2011, 01:40:07 AM

Not sure what type of tree frog but I can tell you they are mostly nocturnal, so there's your clue about them consuming your bees.

...JP

BlueBee · September 12, 2011, 01:47:58 AM

My bees are also nocturnal, hanging out on their front porch most of the night!

Mr Frog, are you eyeing my bees :?

Scadsobees · September 12, 2011, 10:12:14 AM

I can't imagine what it would feel like to get stung by a 3 foot bee, but I'd imagine that's what the frog would feel like if he tried to tackle one of those ladies!

I'm guessing they just like the nice open perch for hunting other types of fliers. I wonder if the bees attract mosquitos with their heat and CO2 production.

Rick

yockey5 · September 12, 2011, 11:13:21 AM

I have wondered about this as well, because there are several tree frogs that hide under the telescoping hive tops here during the day.

rober · September 12, 2011, 11:39:37 AM

i'd say they are after moths. that would be a good thing.
from wikipedia:
The frog's diet is made up of mainly crickets, but they also eat mealworms, waxworms, fruit flies,flightless fruit flies (genetic mutation),fireflies, pinky mice (only for adults),house flies, moths, and possibly small amounts of fruit. The rule for insects is that the length of the insect has to be small that the length of the width of the head. This rule also applies to many other species of frog and lizard.

skatesailor · September 12, 2011, 12:45:36 PM

They are probably eating other insects. Believe it or not there is an intelligence related to survival that would probably cause them to avoid stings. As a youngster I had a frog pond that I often visited to feed them grasshoppers. My bees also used the pond as a watering hole. I never saw a frog take a bee directly. I did, on numerous occasions, see them ambush the bee and spit it out into the water. They would then wait until movement stopped before eating them.

Katharina · September 12, 2011, 01:55:10 PM

My hives have tree frogs and I see no ill effect. They usually hang out on the inner cover in the daytime to get away from the sun. First I was kind of concerned, but then I noticed the bees are not taking action. Not even the strongest hives. Plus the frogs are not bugging or eating the bees, nor are they entering the hive. They do not go below the inner cover, they just stay on top. I think they are only seeking shelter from the sun and eating ants while doing so. A symbiotic relationship in my point of view.

AliciaH · September 13, 2011, 12:18:38 PM

I, too, have tons of tree frogs. I find them on the hand holds for my boxes and, occasionally, inside the telescoping covers. Until reading the prior posts, I always thought they were getting fat on my bees, but I do know other things crawl in with them. They don't seem to be wreaking too much havoc so I haven't worried about it so far. And since the apiary is in the middle of a huge field between a surface water drainage ditch and a small forest, I don't suppose there would be much I could do if I was worried! :)

zippelk · September 15, 2011, 01:29:04 PM

it's a gray treefrog. I know, it's actually green, but herpetologists call this species the gray treefrog, as it usually comes in gray. it's probably not eating any bees, but even if it did, it would only be a few per week and nothing to fret about. having the frog around is more valuable as a testament to the quality of the habitat there. live and let live.

rober · September 15, 2011, 02:48:09 PM

completely off topic but a good frog story. i was tight-line fishing on a creek around 6:00 a.m. among other things i was using worms for bait. a bull frog came out of the water & sat & stared at me. i do not know what possessed me to do so but i slowly took a worm out of the can they were in & tossed in front of the frog. unbelievably that frog sat there & let me feed it worms until my son walked over & spooked it. usually just a bit of noise & bullfrogs are launching out into the water. the area was not populated so it could not have been accustomed to people.

BlueBee · September 17, 2011, 01:00:38 AM

Zippelk, I think you're right. Here's a photo of one of the tree frogs in the daylight.

Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt the tree frogs, I think they're cool even if they did eat a bee or two (which I doubt they do).

Rick poses and interesting question. Maybe the heat and CO2 from the hives are attracting mosquitoes and the frogs are eating them. Lord knows we've had a ton of mosquitoes this summer. I really need to get a time lapse camera set up one of these years to catch them in the act.

CapnChkn · September 17, 2011, 03:30:36 AM

I've never thought about the potential frog problem. I was surprised to see a tree frog here in TN. I knew they were out there, but never saw one until lately. In Florida, you can't help see them. I would find them in every little nook. If you leave a pipe uncapped, they would hide in there and it magnifies the sound so that you can hear it all over. I had one that insisted on living in my shower, and roost on the feeder pipe to the shower head. I would turn the water on and step in the shower, the pipe would heat up, and that frog would leap right into my face!

Any place that's warm, and moist. I'm guessing it's because of the environment rather than the potential meals.

T Beek · September 17, 2011, 08:31:16 AM

Very cool, thanks for the stories. You just gotta love these little creatures. I've seen them near my hives but they seem to be basking in the sun rather than staking out my bees. I believe tree frogs of one species or another occupy all fifty states in US.

thomas

BlueBee · September 17, 2011, 10:34:50 PM

CapnChkn, that is a great story. I lived in Florida for a while too, but never had that problem. I guess I'm wondering how the tree frogs got inside your house! I didn't keep bees down there, but I also wonder if all those little green lizards (Green Anole) eat bees?

CapnChkn · September 17, 2011, 11:16:08 PM

I didn't keep bees there either. I don't know what the situation is there now, but around the middle 90's I saw a huge decline in the population of the Anole. A little Gecko replaced them, then kind of disappeared in favor of the Anole again. We need to hear from the Beeks in FL to give us some input.

nietssemaj · September 17, 2011, 11:31:45 PM

Don't actually have bee's yet but my yard is teaming with anoles and with green tree frogs.

JP · September 18, 2011, 11:24:46 AM

I always joke with people that if you want to raise anoles put some bee boxes in your yard. With or without bees it attracts them around here big time! They do not put even the slightest dent in a hive's population in case anyone is wondering.

...JP

BlueBee · September 24, 2011, 02:57:16 PM

OK, you're probably sick about hearing about my tree frog infestation. However I thought this was a cute photo I snapped yesterday. These frogs love to be around my bees. Here's one sitting on an old frame that was destroyed by wax moths.

Zippelk was right about the ID of these frogs. Here's the wiki page in case you have some.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_tree_frog

Riggs · September 24, 2011, 05:18:41 PM

BlueBee, you take some really good pictures, I get a kick out of them. Thanks for sharing.