Author Topic: SKIRMISH (Read 2856 times)

BeeHopper · « **on:** September 13, 2006, 07:53:48 pm »

On this overcast day in NJ, I stopped by my outyard on the way home. As I watched the workers come and go on one of my colonies, a rather large flying insect passed right before my eyes and landed at the entrance ( UH-OH ! ) The large insect in question turned out to be a Bald Faced Hornet , probably looking for a chicky snack (female honeybee worker) or just trouble. A worker quickly attached herself to the BFH and both instinctively turned their stingers at each other, the battle had begun ( I have never witnessed this before, so timing was perfect to observe nature at her best). Both bees took their fight inside and dissappeared from my view ( UH-OH, AGAIN). About a minute later, the fight came back outside the entrance and in view again, it was no longer a one on one situation, it was three to one, the BFH was now getting its butt kicked. They fell to the ground below, after a short while the BFH had enough and turned tail and flew away, while the wokers stayed on the ground, probably to die later on. Long live the Queen.

I am wondering if anybody else had the fortune of witnessing such an event which I thought was awesome. Wish I had my camera.

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #1 on:** September 14, 2006, 09:59:48 pm »

I've witnessed several such occurances over the years. I'm surprized the BFH had only 3 bees on it when they came back out of the hive. I've seen situations where the invader was literally covered with defender bees.

TapStoneBees · « **Reply #2 on:** September 15, 2006, 12:59:26 am »

Wow,

Last Sunday, I was in my yard, and of course went over to see the girls, and all of a sudden out of no where, this Huge Hornet, Must have been the same thing, big, fat, dark in colour. It went strait for the entrance of the hive, My initial thought was OH NO, Robbing is gonna start a Frenzy!!! No sooner did I have that thought than this Hornet, was being really Escorted out by two bees, on on either side, No conflict or "Nature Seen", just a friendly, ...
You gotta go now...your welcome isn't!!!

Nature is facinating..... I have never seen that hornet before, is it common in the area???? Im right in the corner of the tri state area of NY, PA, NJ. They are HUGE really the size of a Man's thumb or bigger.
I wonder does something like that winter over, or are they from scratch every spring????

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #3 on:** September 15, 2006, 01:33:28 am »

Start for a hatchling every spring. Only the larva winter over in a caccoon.

BeeHopper · « **Reply #4 on:** September 15, 2006, 06:09:12 am »

Quote from: Brian D. Bray

I've witnessed several such occurances over the years. I'm surprized the BFH had only 3 bees on it when they came back out of the hive. I've seen situations where the invader was literally covered with defender bees.

I was also surprised to the amount of defenders on the BFH, I thought there would be many more. I am just glad the guardbees did their job :D

amandrea · « **Reply #5 on:** September 16, 2006, 06:15:01 pm »

I have seen drones fly in in a wedge formation and try to battle their way back in.

tillie · « **Reply #6 on:** September 20, 2006, 12:19:14 am »

I've got some pretty good pictures on my blog of a bald faced hornet and the bees:

http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2006/07/attack-of-bee-eater_16.html

and also:

http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2006/07/death-to-intruder_12.html

Usually two or three kill the bald-faced hornet. On the other hand when I've had bumblebees enter the hive, the bees completely cover them and kill them.

Linda T in Atlanta

abejaruco · « **Reply #7 on:** September 20, 2006, 04:49:41 am »

The "balling" is not very common, but it is possible.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/1160/dsc06392uq4.jpg

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