Bees on Deer Corn Feeder?

**kevinva** · 10-24-2011, 09:39 AM

My neighbor has a corn feeder for the deer. She called me over one afternoon to show me that our honey bees were picking through the corn. Their must have been 1000 bees or so going crazy over the corn.

From my understanding there is no nutrional value from corn for bees. Each hive has 10 - 12 frames of honey plus lots of pollen to go into winter.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

**gone2seed** · 10-24-2011, 12:27 PM

Only two things come to mind.First,they are after dust from the corn which they might mistake for pollen or,it may be that your neighbor is mixing in a little salt with his corn as an added attraction for the deer.Bees like salt too and can often be seen around salt feeders for cattle.

**jrbbees** · 10-24-2011, 02:17 PM

Some deer corn comes pre-salted.

**Mbeck** · 10-24-2011, 03:05 PM

Could it be sweet feed?

**beekeeper_sd** · 10-24-2011, 04:23 PM

Bees love corn dust. Our neighbor told us just the other day that the bees were all over his combine when he was combining corn in a nearby field.

**Live Oak** · 10-24-2011, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by kevinva

My neighbor has a corn feeder for the deer. She called me over one afternoon to show me that our honey bees were picking through the corn. Their must have been 1000 bees or so going crazy over the corn.

From my understanding there is no nutrional value from corn for bees. Each hive has 10 - 12 frames of honey plus lots of pollen to go into winter.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

The bees your friend showed you are very likely starving and/or have limited or no pollen available to them. Our bees raid the chicken feeders which have cracked corn in them. They scavenge the corn dust as a pollen substitute when there is none naturally available. Whenever I see our bees raiding the chicken feeders, I put out pollen substitute for them. 16 hives will go through about 5 lbs. a day when they are really hungry and have limited stores. Since I started putting out Mannlake Ultra Bee pollen substitute for them, they leave the chicken feeders alone.

**dixiebooks** · 10-25-2011, 07:22 AM

My first thought was perhaps the corn was coated in Molasses or Corn Syrup to sweeten it for the deer. The corn dust thing is an interesting discovery, though. Question: Do we know for sure that the commercially available pollen "substitute" is not simply corn dust? Just wondering as I have never used pollen sub. -james

**Lost Bee** · 10-27-2011, 04:46 AM

Isn't it true that bees are attracted to the color yellow? Corn is normally
yellow and with the sugar content in most corn it's no wonder that corn
would be attractive to bees.

Kevinva, I would to donate a bottle of honey or two to your
neighbout to make sure she's not too upset from your robbers.

At least, your neighbour didn't go crazy with insecticides like some
might. Good neighbour relations should be improved at all costs.

It may be time to feed them a little also.

Lucky for her, your not raising hogs.

**SwedeBee1970** · 11-07-2011, 09:27 AM

I agree with what's said about the corn syrup added. The pot is sweetened in most animal food that contains corn. Cracked corn is a high energy food source for many animals in winter. The bees should be interested in the sweetness of it all.

**bluegrass** · 11-07-2011, 09:35 AM

All the "pollen" they are bringing in is actually grain dust.... As long as the field bees can fly they will and collect whatever they can find., once weather turns too cold to fly they will revert back to nurse bees in order to raise the remaining brood, then they die.