Bees in the feed?!

[Happy Novogens]

Hey, anybody have any suggestions? I have bees going after the feed in the bucket feeder! I had been seeing one or two buzzing around the opening port on the bucket feeder. Today there were dozens-- around the feeder and in the bucket itself.

 

[Awaytome]

Yikes. I see you're in Arizona. My first thought is digger bees and I'd suggest you try to find a different option for feeding that they won't find attractive. They're fairly docile in my experience, and the sting isn't too bad, but they multiply quickly.

 

[Happy Novogens]

Thanks! Such a bummer. Will have to figure something out.

 

[Pullet-Shut Chicken Doors]

I'm also a beekeeper. The bees are looking for a protein substitute. It's common usually in the early Spring. It's not a big deal. Even dozens of bees. They can only take the 'powder' of the feed. One option is to take the crushed powder from the bottom of the bags, and put it in another feeder elevated. The bees will go there instead of into the chicken's main feeder.

In general, the chickens don't like the taste of a bee. Funny story, I usually have 100 dead bees up on my dashboard, bees that get into the truck when checking my bee yards. Call them dehydrated, freeze dried, crispy critters... I've tasted them. Nice and crunchy, but fairly tasteless. Note, you can still get 'stung' by a dead bee. Why did I do it? Well, beekeepers are just weird sometimes. I've read where bees are used as a insulin replacement (I'm not diabetic), and I was curious what the flavor would be. Nope, they don't taste like honey! (But I hope you enjoyed a chuckle!)

 

[Happy Novogens]

I'm also a beekeeper. The bees are looking for a protein substitute. It's common usually in the early Spring. It's not a big deal. Even dozens of bees. They can only take the 'powder' of the feed. One option is to take the crushed powder from the bottom of the bags, and put it in another feeder elevated. The bees will go there instead of into the chicken's main feeder.

In general, the chickens don't like the taste of a bee. Funny story, I usually have 100 dead bees up on my dashboard, bees that get into the truck when checking my bee yards. Call them dehydrated, freeze dried, crispy critters... I've tasted them. Nice and crunchy, but fairly tasteless. Note, you can still get 'stung' by a dead bee. Why did I do it? Well, beekeepers are just weird sometimes. I've read where bees are used as a insulin replacement (I'm not diabetic), and I was curious what the flavor would be. Nope, they don't taste like honey! (But I hope you enjoyed a chuckle!)

Thank you for the insight! Your idea about the bees going after the 'powder' was spot on. I dumped the feed from the feeder into a bucket (all outside the run) and watched the bees go right back to the empty feeder. There was powder clinging to the inside of the feeder bucket and that was what they were after. They would scurry/flutter up the sides, making tracks in the clinging powder.

Someone on the AZ forum suggested the feed type could be attracting them if it was sweet. Since I had recently switched feed due to temporary supply issues, I tested that theory. I hosed out the feeder bucket and filled it with their prior feed. No more bees! Instead I saw them hovering around my flowering squash plants... just where I want them to bee.

Funny story too! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Pullet-Shut Chicken Doors]

Thank you for the insight! Your idea about the bees going after the 'powder' was spot on. I dumped the feed from the feeder into a bucket (all outside the run) and watched the bees go right back to the empty feeder. There was powder clinging to the inside of the feeder bucket and that was what they were after. They would scurry/flutter up the sides, making tracks in the clinging powder.

Someone on the AZ forum suggested the feed type could be attracting them if it was sweet. Since I had recently switched feed due to temporary supply issues, I tested that theory. I hosed out the feeder bucket and filled it with their prior feed. No more bees! Instead I saw them hovering around my flowering squash plants... just where I want them to bee.

Funny story too! Thanks for sharing!

It is surprising, chicken feed is normally more of a 'protein' (pollen-like) than a 'carb' (nectar/sugar-like). So it being 'sweet' does not seem right. We'll see, if when you get to the bottom of this next bag and have the crumbs if the bees return. And happy to entertain.

 

[SueT]

Hey, anybody have any suggestions? I have bees going after the feed in the bucket feeder! I had been seeing one or two buzzing around the opening port on the bucket feeder. Today there were dozens-- around the feeder and in the bucket itself.

How did this work out? Any updates?
Today we have dozens of honey bees in our feeders. I don’t know if the chickens will eat or not….
This is a new bag of Kalmbach 20% crumbles. No bees before today. I wonder if it’s a coincidence about the new bag. BTW, the weather has warmed up recently tho it froze last few nights.

 

[Pullet-Shut Chicken Doors]

How did this work out? Any updates?
Today we have dozens of honey bees in our feeders. I don’t know if the chickens will eat or not….
This is a new bag of Kalmbach 20% crumbles. No bees before today. I wonder if it’s a coincidence about the new bag. BTW, the weather has warmed up recently tho it froze last few nights.

View attachment 3737751

It is that time of year again. Bees are out foraging for any sources of protein so they can start raising their Spring babies. And if there is nothing else to find, the crumbs in the chicken feeder become the only choice. Give it a couple of weeks, the natural pollens will start emerging and the bees will leave. Good news, for the most part these bees are not looking for any trouble. It's very unlikely that they will sting you unless you swat at them or harrassment them.

 

[SueT]

It is that time of year again. Bees are out foraging for any sources of protein so they can start raising their Spring babies. And if there is nothing else to find, the crumbs in the chicken feeder become the only choice. Give it a couple of weeks, the natural pollens will start emerging and the bees will leave. Good news, for the most part these bees are not looking for any trouble. It's very unlikely that they will sting you unless you swat at them or harrassment them.

THANK YOU!!! Well my only concern is will they sting the chickens or keep them from eating, but I did see a couple of the chickens eating, seemingly unbothered. Is there anything I can put out for the bees that they would prefer? I assume if it’s protein they are after, then honey won’t suffice?

 

[Apis mellifera]

I assume if it’s protein they are after, then honey won’t suffice?

Honey would only make matters worse and attract bees. Store bought honey can have many diseases like American Foul Brood and could kill the colony. When foragers find a food source its hard to condition them to another location until natural pollen starts.