Guineas in the bee yard

[BeeSmart]

Anyone else have them? I've read they might sit outside the hive and snack on bees and wanted to hear from others with experience. Thinking of getting a few in the spring to control the fire ant population.

[Mustang]

Anyone else have them? I've read they might sit outside the hive and snack on bees and wanted to hear from others with experience. Thinking of getting a few in the spring to control the fire ant population.

I have been told this to but guineas don't eat honeybees. One day I seen a guinea pecking on a hive I walked to the hive the guinea was eating ant off the hive honeybees coming and going and did not eat one of them we have about 30 guineas and have had honeybees for years

[jdmidwest]

They work great on ticks and other bugs. I would keep them out of a bee yard.

They are annoying and nervous.

[libhart]

"Annoying and nervous"

Friend has a few that run around. I hear they use them as guard animals in some places around the world because as soon as they spot some little oddity in the area they cause a big row.

[DBeeCooper]

My Guineas haven't shown any interest in my beehives, even now that there are few bugs around. I thought they might at least go after dead ones around the hive, but I haven't seen that either. They are noisy!

[EastSideBuzz]

Wow I have not heard anyone use that term in a while and never about bee's but, I have lots of Guinea bee's a few named Guido as well as several Goombah's in each hive.

[WWW]

BeeSmart, we had guineas for a short time, they never bothered the bees but I must tell you that we through a celebration when we got rid of those birds, the noise was just too much to take.

[westernbeekeeper]

Anyone else have them? I've read they might sit outside the hive and snack on bees and wanted to hear from others with experience. Thinking of getting a few in the spring to control the fire ant population.

Yes, had the same problem that was mentioned. But the bees took care of everything and stung the guinea to death. My pet peacock got the same treatment but didn't die, just learned a lesson.

[arrowwood]

no experience with guineas, but i have chickens that roam around my hives... the chickens will chase down a bee in flight and eat it - once!

then they learn !

[BeeGhost]

We had guineas at the old house and yes, they are great to have around! They are noisy and will squawk at anything out of place! The chickens and them would hang around the hives but never bothered the bees that I noticed. They are tick eating machines though! Before guineas the dogs would be checked for ticks daily, after getting a dozen guineas the tick population got hammered around my house! But they are dumb birds and either got hit by cars or picked off by the owls at night and disappeared over time.

[Charlie B]

I'm sorry, this thread puzzled me at first but now I noticed why I was confused.
guinnessbeer.jpg

Your talking about a bird, not beer!

[Ravenseye]

Mine never bothered the bees. They bothered the dogs. They bothered the cats. They bothered me. They're gone.

Charlie...I love it. Just opened one because of you!!!!!!!!!

[mac]

I'm sorry, this thread puzzled me at first but now I noticed why I was confused.
guinnessbeer.jpg

Your talking about a bird, not beer!

I thought the same thing

[lazy shooter]

When living in East Texas, I noticed quite a few of the rural residents kept guineas. They are good watch animals and will let out really loud cackles when anyone or anything strange comes near them. Personally, they are not for me, although they eat huge amounts of bugs.

The fire ant infestation of most of Texas got rid of our ticks. Fire ants will get rid of all ticks, period. That's the only good thing I have been able to discern about the mean little ants.

[BeeSmart]

I have a 2 1/2 year old who knows that ants "Bite you!" and will tell me quite loudly of the fact. Doesn't stop him from stepping in the ant hills though. I would rather get rid of them without treatments.

[lazy shooter]

BeeSmart:

Someone on a bee forum posted that coffee grounds were a deterrent to fire ants. I saved my coffee grounds for a few days and sprinkled them around my bee hives. I did keep the fire ants away for weeks. It's now something that I do every month or so in warm weather. It has worked for me.

[kylemeinert]

Now this is my opinion from raising chickens fro over 10 years....Throw those birds away....They do lay some good brown eggs but I dont understand why new people think they are so great. They are noisy and ugly lol.... I have had chickens for ages at my ranch and someone who is new to birds always comes to me with those **** things. Get some nice RIR Buffs or Austrolorp chickens way better than guineas. They wont mess with bees except to eat the dead ones. You will get large brown eggs use about 1/2 the food and have a chicken that only coos when they lay and gentle enough to eat the ticks off a dog. Literally they will eat off the dog and raid his food if they get the chance. They are also great left over disposals..got rice...corn....veg...meat...they will devour it... Plus they are mighty tasty come late fall when you kull back for the winter and hardy. I get an egg a day from each of my birds after about 4-6 months.

[BeeSmart]

BeeSmart:

Someone on a bee forum posted that coffee grounds were a deterrent to fire ants. I saved my coffee grounds for a few days and sprinkled them around my bee hives. I did keep the fire ants away for weeks. It's now something that I do every month or so in warm weather. It has worked for me.

I may have to try that. Currently, coffee grounds go directly into the garden and get worked in. I would need an awful lot of grounds to treat our 2.5 acres, though.

Kylemeinert...We've already had 25 free-range egg laying chickens for 3 years. I'm not too worried about ticks, but they don't do a thing for fire ants.

[Acebird]

Get some nice RIR Buffs or Austrolorp chickens way better than guineas.

I have been told that guineas may not stay home. We have all of the above chickens right now but are not too happy with the Buffs, and Austrolorp's for laying. We are going back to all RIR in the spring.

[BeeSmart]

I have been told that guineas may not stay home. We have all of the above chickens right now but are not too happy with the Buffs, and Austrolorp's for laying. We are going back to all RIR in the spring.

Our Austrolorps have been great. I believe the breed holds the record for most eggs laid in one year. However, the shorter days and cooler temperatures have slowed them down. Perhaps that is what you are experiencing up there in NY.