The common predators that can threaten a beekeeper’s hive on the farm. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Wild animals and insects prey on bees.
One of the biggest bee predators is a Bear. They can destroy an entire hive by ripping it apart or tipping it on its side to get to the honey.
Skunks enjoy eating bees, and they will actually spit out the parts they aren’t interested in eating. Beekeepers will need to raise the hive a few feet off the ground to deter this smelly nuisance.
It’s no secret that the reason spiders build webs is to catch other insects to feast upon. This is no different for bees getting caught in a spider’s web.
Flower crab spiders actually hideout amongst bees’ favorite flowers hoping to catch their prey off guard. These spiders can even change color, camouflaging them against the flower they are hunting from.
The Small Hive Beetle is another invasive bug that infiltrates a beehive. Typically, these little beetles do not enter hives of healthy bees, because they risk being killed easily by worker bees. If a hive is weak, ill, or otherwise, the beetles can quickly overtake an entire colony, or cause the hive to swarm.
Listen to Cathy Isom’s This Land of Ours program here.