Outside-Hive Pests

Pests outside the hive include hornets and wasps, birds such as the bee-eater, ants, mice and large animals such as bears. Most of them do not finish off a colony on their own; the damage depends on how long the pressure lasts and how strong the colony is. This page summarises which pest arrives when, how to recognise it and the common measures; details on each species are on their own pages.

Which pest, and when?

Hornets and wasps

This is the group of pests outside the hive that does the most damage to beekeepers in Türkiye. The European hornet (Vespa crabro) and the Oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis), which is common especially in the southern and western regions, hunt bees in front of the hive. The invasive yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina), which has spread across Europe, behaves in the same way; wherever it is seen, it should be reported to the authorities.

The real damage comes less from the number of bees caught than from the pressure itself: because of the predator waiting at the entrance, the foragers do not fly, the intake of pollen and nectar stops, and the colony goes into winter weak and with few stores. Smaller wasps (Vespula species, commonly called yellowjackets), on the other hand, enter the hive and carry off honey and brood; they can rob out a weak colony within days.

What to do

• Reduce the entrance. In late summer the entrance should be narrowed to a width the colony can easily defend. On its own, this is the most effective measure.
• Unite weak colonies or move them away from strong ones; a weak colony spreads robbing through the apiary.
• Do not leave sweet things in the apiary. Syrup, extraction residues, spilled honey and rotting fruit left in the open attract hornets and wasps.
• Entrance guards (wire mesh screens, hornet grilles) make it harder for the predator to approach the entrance and help the foragers keep flying.
• Swatting hornets in front of the hive with a racket is common; under heavy pressure it is not enough on its own.

Birds

The important species in Türkiye is the European bee-eater (Merops apiaster). It hunts over the apiary in flocks; when the pressure is heavy, foragers stop flying and queens going out on mating flights may be lost. This makes it of particular importance to queen breeders.

The bee-eater is protected in many countries, including Türkiye; hunting it and disturbing its nests are prohibited. What can be done is to set up the apiary away from the earth banks and sand pits where the birds nest in large numbers, to move hives temporarily elsewhere during periods of intense hunting, and during this period to place mating nuclei where pressure is low.

In winter the great tit may tap on the hive and eat the bees that come out; in some regions woodpeckers may bore through the hive wall. Wrapping the hive in wire mesh throughout the winter prevents this damage.

Ants and other small predators

Ants rarely harm a strong colony; weak colonies, mating nuclei and hives being fed, however, are disturbed by them. Standing the hive legs in containers of water, applying a sticky barrier to the legs and keeping the grass under the hive short is enough in most cases. Do not use insecticides right next to the hive; the bees will be affected too.

The death's-head hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos) can enter the hive in autumn and steal honey; a reduced entrance prevents this too. Frogs, spiders, praying mantises and bee-hunting wasps (Philanthus) catch bees one at a time; they generally do not threaten the colony.

Mammals

Mice and rats

When the bees withdraw into the winter cluster, the entrance is left undefended. A mouse gets in, builds a nest in the lower part of the frames and chews the combs; the colony is often found weak or dead in spring. A mouse guard should be fitted at the start of winter, before the cold arrives.

Bears and other large animals

In regions such as the Black Sea and Eastern Anatolia in Türkiye, bears are a serious threat to apiaries; they knock hives over and eat the honey and brood, and a bear that has come once usually comes back. The most effective solution is a correctly installed, regularly maintained electric fence: it must be well earthed, the grass beneath the wire must be cleared, and the voltage must be checked throughout the season. The bear is a protected species; if damage occurs, contact the local nature conservation and agriculture authorities.

Badgers and wild boar can overturn hives or dig around the entrance; grazing animals can rub against hives and knock them over. A sturdy stand raised off the ground, strapping the hives to the stand and a fence largely prevent this damage.

Common measures (checklist)

• Strong colonies: A populous colony defends its entrance; most pests outside the hive pick on weak colonies.
• Entrance to suit the season: Reduce it in late summer and fit a mouse guard at the start of winter.
• A clean apiary: Do not leave syrup, honey, comb or rotten fruit in the open; do honey extraction indoors.
• Secure placement: Raise hives off the ground and fix them to the stand; fence them in if necessary.
• Apiary site: Stay away from bee-eater nesting areas and places with heavy hornet pressure.
• Regular observation: Standing in front of the entrance for a few minutes reveals most outside pests early.

Invasive species and reporting

Invasive species such as the yellow-legged hornet are pests that must be reported in many countries. If you notice a hornet that has not been seen in your area before, photograph it, keep a specimen if possible and report it to the local agriculture authority. Do not try to destroy the nest yourself; the risk of stings is high, and it is important for the authorities to locate the nest in order to limit the spread.