[Wreckless]

It was a big bullfrog sitting in front. I guess he's been picking off bees at night now that they are bearding. He jumped the ten feet back into the pond when I approached. Live and learn.

 

[gtwarren1966]

It was a big bullfrog sitting in front. I guess he's been picking off bees at night now that they are bearding. He jumped the ten feet back into the pond when I approached. Live and learn.

Maybe take some target practice with a .22 next time and have some froglegs.

 

[orthoman]

I tend to find big Paying Mantis (sp?) on the front of the hive near the entrance. They are big but I doubt they can eat that many bees but who knows.

 

[Nabber86]

I had a swarm of giant dragon flys descend on my apiary a couple of days ago. They were dive bombing and eating bees for a long time. I have heard about it, but never witnessed it first hand. Nature is crazy.

 

[Pondulinus]

Wow, i would have liked to see that swarm of dragonflies. I only get the boring and nasty predators in my yard.. Ants and yellow jackets..... I did not know that frogs liked bees, i would imagine they would be stung. That bullfrog probably thinks he hit the jackpot though, finding that spot;-)

 

[jwcarlson]

I had a swarm of giant dragon flys descend on my apiary a couple of days ago. They were dive bombing and eating bees for a long time. I have heard about it, but never witnessed it first hand. Nature is crazy.

I walked out into my backyard a few years back and saw the same thing. No bees though. It was pretty wild. We live no where near much water other than a smallish pond close to a mile away. They were THICK in the yard for about a minute or so and then they had moved on.

Really really cool.

 

[challenger]

I bet I have a lizard on 75% of my 40 hives. Some big and some small green ones. The big brown lizards must be able to smell bees or something because they show up often when I am moving bees etc. I even had one show up out of nowhere while I was doing a take out.
I let them be. They can't eat too many bees.
Some people want to kill a frog for eating a few bees??? "Save the bees" is the big concern right? Save the bees but kill the frogs? How can this make any sense?

 

[Tejones121]

I have a couple of black furry spiders that hunt my hives. They are very quick and vey sneaky. To see one stalk an unsuspecting honeybee, lunge out to make the grab, then run off under the landing board, all in a split second is pretty wild. Dragonflies snatching them off the landing board is pretty crazy too.

 

[Phoebee]

I tend to find big Paying Mantis (sp?) on the front of the hive near the entrance. They are big but I doubt they can eat that many bees but who knows.

We have not seen them doing it yet this year, but last year many of the Wingstems had a large Praying Mantis saying Grace just under the top cluster of blossoms, waiting for dinner to fly in. As you say, a single Praying Mantis near the hive entrance won't eat many, but one on each on some thousands of plants in a ten acre field might.

Last year, there were more bumbles than honeys on the Wingstem. This year, the bumble population has crashed locally. The honeys will probably get more nectar but they may pay a steep price.

 

[mathesonequip]

I tend to find big Paying Mantis (sp?) on the front of the hive near the entrance. They are big but I doubt they can eat that many bees but who knows.

i found a big dead praying mantis on the top of an inner cover at the center hole yesterday. the bees got their revenge.

 

[frustrateddrone]

Ive got assassin bugs. Probably 10 a day during the summer hot months is what I kill Probably 20 or so I either can't see or get. I dislike them hanging out in front of the bee hive waiting. Only thing I can do is smash them if I can get to them quickly. Just have to do it with the bee suit on. 2 were on the landing board and I attempted to smash them, but unfortunately the bees didn't like that and I took a sting to the eye lid.

 

[BillS]

I get Purple martins. They fly through the flight line early and late. They say that they eat thier weight in moskitoes in a day. I wish they would stick with them. Oh well thats life.

BillS

 

[Jay Burgess]

This, and porcupine, skunk, raccoon, turkey, all manner of birds, got the mites under control though.

 

[Hops Brewster]

I have a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon that loves snatching bees out of the air. Apparently, they are worth the occasional sting or 2.

 

[thesecurityeagle]

I saw a bumble bee, not a drone, a bumble bee land on the left edge of the board. walk up to the entrance and then go in. My heart sank until the bumblebee and three girls rolled out the front door. He got nailed. I was happy then cause I knew they will defend and successfully.

 

[Pondulinus]

I also saw a few bumble bees trying their luck. One entered a hive and imediately started feeding while i was inspecting, one was found dead outside the hive and one i saw fighting three guard bees on the entrance board. I saved the one on the entrance board and it flew away, grateful i hope, as the guard bees were targeting wings and legs. It was quite funny to see it kick the bees away, it was so large compared to the bees

 

[lharder]

Had some small dragonflies hang out a bit. You could see they were targeting incoming bees. Didn't take long and the bees noticed and you could see them buzzing and going after the dragonflies driving them off.

 

[DavidZ]

Frogs and toads are the pigs of the amphibian world, they will gorge themselves beyond full.
I agree shoot that bullfrog, bullfrogs are mean, vicious, cannibal's. If it's big, that thing can eat 2 cups
of dog food. With bees that could easitly become 4-5 cups the way frogs can compress their stomach's.
I've caught them eating at my grandpa's dog food dish back in the late 60's in Ft. Wayne, IN
We watched 3 gobble up a huge dish in about 20 min. They have good memories
and I'm quite sure they can communicate with their bullfrog buddies, because over the next week after that
more would come each night. My little brother and I popped them with a old 22lr at his pond for the rest of that summer.
Bullies are a nasty pest. They will devastate a pond's habitat, making it a stinkhole of nasty water.

 

[LittleTreeGuy]

This, and porcupine, skunk, raccoon, turkey, all manner of birds, got the mites under control though.

That's a good looking bear. I'm guessing that's electric fence you have up? Is it enough to deter them?

 

[calkal]

Skunks were my biggest problem but I had to quickly learn to live with them because they were cleaning house quick. The small colonies I keep 2 feet off the ground and the honey producing colonies low to the ground but surrounded by electric chicken netting. Were I live an electric bear fence must be kept around the colonies anyway but netting is painful and expensive compared to a regular 3 wire.