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Author Topic: Lizards that eat bees in Florida  (Read 9314 times)

Offline Billybee

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Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« on: November 04, 2009, 09:39:39 am »
I have seen multiple lizards around my hive but not on it actually eating bees. I am wondering if anybody knows if the curly tail and Anole lizards can eat bees. I see them scoping out the be entrance all day long but, have never seen them actually on the landing board which is 20 inches in the air. I placed a camera on the entrance today to see if I capture any shanannigans. I will have 2 cams in different places tomorrow to scope the whole hive out. They never make a move when I am there.

Anyone else in Floridai having lizard issues?

Heres the cam link if you wanna see some bees.

http://ms1.uviewit.com:88/msft.asp?id=DC2009%2D0033%23%1C%C0%7FV%A8%2D2
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Offline Bee Happy

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2009, 09:44:11 am »
you're considerably warmer there than I am now. I expect the girls here may have just decided it has warmed up enough to start foraging in significant numbers.
I've seen a gecko walking on the underside of the landing board but I haven't seen him eat anything.
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Offline lakeman

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2009, 10:04:24 am »
Amazing video, reminds me of jet aircraft taking off and landing from an aircraft carrier. It does appear as if some come in  a little high, and colide with the lower edge of the hive, or it could be that it is not showing the actual landing between takes. By the way, lizards do feast on insects.
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Offline mgmoore7

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2009, 04:38:51 pm »
I have not seen any lizard eat bees.  I have seen dragonflies by the hundreds though picking off bees mid air and eating them.
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Offline Bee Happy

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2009, 05:00:43 pm »
I probably should have said that it doesn't seem logical that a lizard would eat something he might intuitively know could issue a nasty sting, but that there are hive parasites to feed on. - but approaching bees with what I think is logical has already cost me a feral colony this year.
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Offline hardwood

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2009, 05:27:26 pm »
I have them here. The native American Anoles don't seem to bother the bees at all, actually I've never seen one near the hive, but the invasive Cuban lizards love to snatch a bee every now and then. I've witnessed them snatching yellow jackets and bumbles too as they try to gain access to the hive though so I just leave them alone. I figure an occasional bee is a small price to pay for the protection! I wonder if they go for SHB as well?

Scott
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Offline lakeman

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2009, 05:46:43 pm »
Quote from: hardwood on November 04, 2009, 05:27:26 pm
I have them here. The native American Anoles don't seem to bother the bees at all, actually I've never seen one near the hive, but the invasive Cuban lizards love to snatch a bee every now and then. I've witnessed them snatching yellow jackets and bumbles too as they try to gain access to the hive though so I just leave them alone. I figure an occasional bee is a small price to pay for the protection! I wonder if they go for SHB as well?

Scott

I have not heard of the invasive cuban lizards, what do they look like? how big are they?
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Offline irerob

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2009, 07:06:43 pm »
  They hang out by the dozens near my hives. Iv'e never seen them after the bees, but they love the ants that try to get into the hives. If they eat shb I think I'll start raising them.
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Offline hardwood

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2009, 07:09:22 pm »
They're the same size as the natives 4-6" long but are light to dark brown with interesting patterns. They don't change color. Some look like miniature gators.
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"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

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Offline Animator

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2009, 12:53:29 pm »
The small native lizards seem fascinated with the bees, but I have never seen them grab one. I imagine the bigger Cuban lizards could grab some. The real problem is the bufo frogs. They seem like lazy slobs, but as described in our club meeting, they are Olympic athletes of the animal kingdom. One guy found 40 bees in a frog he killed.
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Offline bailey

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2009, 06:13:20 pm »
we have the anole here and they love being around a bee hive!
i have seen them take weak and dying bees off the ground but never a healthy bee!
i have seen them get hive beetles, flys, ants, and assassin bugs off the landing boards.
i often see them enter smaller hives before build up. the bees really dont seem to mind them.
i have never seen the bees sting them either.

i like them being around as i have seen them eat wax moths and their larve too!
guess i will have to get a few photos this year and post them for you.
they run all over the hives here.
bailey
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Offline JP

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2009, 07:45:12 pm »
If you have beehives and lizards where you live, particularly the common American anole, you will see a steady influx of anoles. Like the saying goes if you build it, they will come. As Bailey pointed out we have a ton of anoles down here and the Cuban anoles' numbers are growing steadily since I first saw them down here, which has been at least within the last ten years. I in fact just saw my first one at my house a week or so ago.

The Cuban anoles are about the same length as the common anole but are more of a ground dwelling, huskier and I think faster lizard. I have never considered them a threat to the detriment of a colonies numbers. As Bailey pointed out they simply pick dead or dying bees, shb's, assassin bugs and other undesirables, so my vote is they are healthy to keep around and fun to watch!


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Offline annette

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2009, 09:01:06 pm »
I have many lizards that hang around my hives.  I have never actually seen one go for the bees, but I am thinking they are eating the many ants on the ground.
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Offline RayMarler

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Re: Lizards that eat bees in Florida
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2009, 10:28:05 pm »
Where I moved from, there was a wood pile 4 feet from my hives. A lizard lived there in the wood pile and it loved to get the bees. It was only after the weak almost dead ones, I never saw it eat or even try a healthy bee. The lizards here have a blue stripe on each side of the belly.
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