Honey bee populations continue to decline, and the biggest threat to their health is the varroa mite, one of the world's tiniest and most destructive parasites. Varroa mites suck the blood of bees and transmit deadly viruses, making them one of the greatest threats to bees.
Major enemies of honeybees are wax moths, mites, ants, wasps, birds, bee lice, hive beetles, mice, skunks and bears (Morhe 1999). Cockroaches, leafcutter bees, death's head moth, robber flies, dragonflies, praying mantis, spiders, etc.
Bees also have a distaste for lavender oil, citronella oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, lemon, and lime. These are all topical defenses you can add to your skin to keep bees away. Unlike other flying insects, bees are not attracted to the scent of humans; they are just curious by nature.
1. Bears. Bears are probably the first thing that comes to your mind when thinking about bee predators. Yes, we are talking about the big bears: the Grizzly and the Black and Brown Bears.
Pesticides, pollutants, parasites, diseases, and malnutrition have all been linked to this problem. We consider here neurobiological, ecological, and evolutionary reasons why bees are particularly vulnerable to these environmental stressors.
Scientists know that bees are dying from a variety of factors—pesticides, drought, habitat destruction, nutrition deficit, air pollution, global warming and more. Many of these causes are interrelated.
Elephants are afraid of bees. Let that sink in for a second. The largest animal on land is so terrified of a tiny insect that it will flap its ears, stir up dust and make noises when it hears the buzz of a beehive. Of course a bee's stinger can't penetrate the thick hide of an elephant.
Wasps and Ants. Wasps, especially yellow jackets and hornets, are known to raid beehives and steal honey, but also to attack and kill bees. Bees and their natural enemies: Wasps. Wasps, especially yellow jackets and hornets, can be a major threat to honeybee colonies.
Honey bee populations continue to decline, and the biggest threat to their health is the varroa mite, one of the world's tiniest and most destructive parasites. Varroa mites suck the blood of bees and transmit deadly viruses, making them one of the greatest threats to bees. At the MSU St.
‟Mix one part dish soap to four parts water in [a] spray bottle. Spray all bees … with this solution. The soap-water solution will kill the bees but doesn't leave a harmful residue like an insecticide. Spray every bee until no bees return for at least one day.”
Rainy weather, especially when it comes with heat and high humidity, makes bees cranky as well. During the “dog days of summer,” no amount of fanning helps evaporate the nectar or cool the hive.
Bees and wasps instinctively perceive dark colors as a threat. Wear white, tan, cream, or gray clothing as much as possible and avoid black, brown, or red clothes. Bees and wasps see the color red as black, so they perceive it as a threat.
Neem, Mint, Citronella, Eucalyptus, and Cloves are some of the most common and effective ways to repel bees. They are easy to grow in pots and don't require a lot of maintenance. Bee repellents such as marigold and germanium can also be a very effective way to keep them at bay.
Summary. Interestingly, all species of bees that make honey also eat it. They use it as an energy source, and it is packed with the nutrients they need to remain healthy.
Damage done: Africanized Honey Bees (=Killer Bees) are dangerous because they attack intruders in numbers much greater than European Honey Bees. Since their introduction into Brazil, they have killed some 1,000 humans, with victims receiving ten times as many stings than from the European strain.
Geraniums can be helpful in repelling bees, particularly red geraniums, as bees cannot see the color red. It may seem counterintuitive that a flower would repel bees, but these flowers contain little to no pollen and have a scent that the stinging pest does not particularly like.
In a weak hive, the wax worms can get the upper hand and destroy the hive in 10-14 days. Once the wax moth worms pupate they spin tough cocoons into the wood of the hive. The cocoons are so tough that the bees cannot remove them. They literally drill into the wood and ruin the structure of the hive.
In real life, frogs eat flies, mosquitoes, bees, wasps and other insects.
Some snakes are known to eat bees. They do not cause much damage to the colony, but the beekeeper should always be careful to avoid being bitten by a poisonous snake near the hive.
Fighting In Honey Bee Colonies
Honey bees will sometimes rob (or attempt to rob) the hives or nests of other honey bee colonies. When this happens, as with the scenario with stingless bees described above, bees will fight each other to the death to protect their food stores.
So while bees cannot necessarily “smell” fear, they do have a way of detecting it and communicating that fear with the hive! One way bees do this is by emitting a specific pheromone to the rest of the hive, which is a chemical that alerts the rest of the colony that there is a threat.
Bees don't smell fear. However, they detect fear pheromones released when an animal or human is afraid. Essentially, their olfactory system enables them to collect scents and establish their meaning. So, even though they don't smell fear directly, they have a keen sense of smell for perceived threats.