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Author Topic: Surrogate Feeding?  (Read 4735 times)

Offline DireIce

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Surrogate Feeding?
« on: July 26, 2006, 10:20:08 am »
Hey guys/gals.  I'm new to the site.  Not keeping any bees as yet but awful interested in doing so.

Just a quick question: Half of my humming bird feeder stand is now a bee feeder as you can see from the pics (not by choice ;).  These are not my girls and they seem to be coming from two different hives.  

Should I stop them from feeding or just let them have at it?

They're consuming near 4 globes of sugar water per day.




Offline KONASDAD

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2006, 11:26:47 am »
Cant answer wheteher it helps/hurts bees. Iif you want your hummingbirds to use the feeder switch or add the hummingbird feeder shaped like a flying saucer. They have bee/fly  guards on the openings.
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Offline TwT

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2006, 01:20:08 pm »
awesome pic's,,,, Looks like you are in a good area to catch a swarm or more, let them feed if you want to, it will not hurt them, you should setup you some swarm traps next year and you might not have to buy any bee's, just catch all the free bee's you can when they swarm..... just next year in early spring put your globe feeders out early and let them have at it if they will .....
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Offline DireIce

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2006, 08:12:54 pm »
What I'm concerned about is if these girls are from some local beekeeper's hive(s) I"m worried that my feeding my promote swarming or throw the keeper off his schedule.  Is this something that I really should be worried about.  I love watching them feed and enjoy their presence.  I just don't want to disrupt a local keepers hive...that is, if these aren't feral bees.

Now if they are feral, any tips on how to track them down?  I know two general directions they fly off to.

Offline keeper007

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2006, 08:23:44 pm »
Quote from: DireIce
I"m worried that my feeding my promote swarming or throw the keeper off his schedule.  Is this something that I really should be worried about.


i wouldn't be to worried about any of this
you might actualy be helping them  :D

cool pics :mrgreen:
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Offline Hi-Tech

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2006, 12:12:31 am »
DireIce,
I imagine that this behavior would not be as bad if we weren't in such a drought. I am having to feed my bees right now because no nectar is available....
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2006, 03:22:19 am »
If you change the coloring in the feeders just imagine the rainbow of color the beekeeper will find.  Blue Honey.  Lime Green Honey.  The possiblilties are limitless.
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Offline Jeff L

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Dire
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2006, 01:47:47 am »
First, those are SUPER pics. Really great! You're just feeding them. It won't bother the beekeepers at all, plus maybe they're from a hive that's not in a box somewhere. Doesn't matter. Food is good!
 I now have had a hive for 3 whopping weeks, and I'm hooked. Plus I've received tons of sound advice from folks here. This is a super forum and site. If you want a hive. Go for it!

Jeff

Offline Wombat

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2006, 11:48:35 am »
Keep feeding 'em, DireIce - help those girls out!

If you enjoy the feeding so much, maybe you should consider building a bigger feeder near a window, so you can watch the bees come and go.

Although, word of caution here if you think about that...bees obviously aren't the only insects that like sugar water, so you might get one or two other uninvited (and probably less friendly) guests from time to time. When I lived in SC, the hornets loved feeding from the hummingbird feeders, and would even chase the birds off (yeah, they were aggressive).

Also, as you've noted already...the more bees, the quicker the sugar water will go. That's a lot of sugar to buy at the grocery store, dude.

peace
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Offline DireIce

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2006, 03:30:56 pm »
The problem I have now is that recently there seem to be more Yellow Jackets feeding than bees.  And when the bees do come, those bully YJ tackle them and keep trying to drive them off.

I've put up a Yellow Jacket Trap made by Rescue (suppose to be bee friendly) next to the feeders but so far the Jackets seem to ignore it and continue on with the feeders.  Could the feeders be preventing the trap from being affective?  3 days now and only 1 YJ caught in the trap.  I'd hate to take the feeders down and lose the visiting girls but those YJ are getting out of hand.

Any advice?

BTW, the YJ nest is located inside the outside wall of our house...making getting rid of them tuff.  I'd have to remove a mess load of siding and maybe even a window to get to them. GRRRRR!

Offline Wombat

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2006, 03:56:23 pm »
Did you try baiting the trap with Bologna? Supposedly YJs love the stuff. Also, a quick search on the internet led me to this little tidbit that might help...

"Homemade Traps: A crude yellow jacket trap is made by hanging a raw fish or piece of liver (slightly diced on the exterior) by string about 1 to 2 inches above a container of detergent and water. The detergent will act as a wetting agent and eliminate surface tension which will improve trap efficiency. Foraging yellow jackets are attracted to the raw meat and will often become overloaded with food and fall into the water and drown. This method of yellow jacket control is not as efficient as nest elimination but it may help reduce the population to acceptable levels."

Assuming you like liver or fish blowing in the wind, of course.

Also, try this website, which has the disclaimer that "though most insects will be attracted to the smell of this particular trap, its odor is not sweet enough to attract honeybees.""
http://www.ehow.com/how_1740_make-trap-yellow.html

I hope this helps...I always love to watch the bees feed :)
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Offline DireIce

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2006, 09:53:51 pm »
Wow, what a difference.  I replaced the pheromone cotton ball with baloney and within an hour had 5 yellow jackets.

I've seen the liver/fish/soap trap and might try that depending how effective the baloney is in the Rescue yellow jacket trap.

As Brian D. Bray once posted (if I remember correctly)..."Die Yellow Jacket, Die!"

Offline Apis629

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2006, 11:51:25 pm »
Quote
Now if they are feral, any tips on how to track them down? I know two general directions they fly off to.


You can try a process known as "honey hunting".  Basically, you capture these bees in small, dark boxes with a little honey in them.  Walk about 100 yards or so and let one go.  Watch it; it will orient in an ever inceacing circle and then make a "bee-line" for the hive.  Do this every 100 yards or so and follow the bees.  You could be in for a 3 mile walk.

Offline DireIce

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #13 on: August 02, 2006, 01:46:29 am »
Yes, I've read that some tribes do this to find the hive of bees.  Not sure if I'm up to a 3 mile hike.  But then again if it leads me to a local keeper, might be a nice way to find a mentor ;)

Maybe I'll just enjoy their feeding if I can get rid of those darn yellow jackets.  Go baloney, GO!

Online Kathyp

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #14 on: August 02, 2006, 11:28:40 am »
i use cat food to bait my yellow jacket traps.  try observing the flight path of the yellow jackets and put the trap in that path, away from the bird feeder.
i'm not sure, given the choice, they'd choose the trap over "nectar".
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Offline Hi-Tech

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Surrogate Feeding?
« Reply #15 on: August 02, 2006, 10:02:02 pm »
If you need a bee fix, you are welcome to come visit my hives in Greenville. I have 6 hives and 2 nucs...
Just send me an email if you want to stop by sometime...
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