Bees invading your chicken feed might seem like a cause for alarm, but in actuality they are rarely serious issues.
Bees that attack chickens don’t seek to do harm – instead, they simply seek protein! Bees have been observed feeding on dead animals such as fish, birds and snakes as food sources.
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Bees are looking for pollen
Pollen collected by bees is used to feed their larvae as well as provide protein sources. Therefore, bees depend on pollen sources for survival.
Bees possess a complex digestive system designed to digest pollen. Pollen serves as their main source of protein and nurse bees collect it and pass it along to their young. Meanwhile, forager bees do not consume pollen but instead, it passes straight through their gut without any digestion whatsoever.
In the tropics, there exists a species of bee known as “vulture bee.” Like its namesake, this bee feeds off animal carcasses by partially digesting meat before regurgitating it for other bees to consume. Vulture bees are the only known bee species which feed exclusively off non-plant-based food sources – an astonishing change to their eating habits!
They are collecting dust
bee pollen has long been recognized as a super food for humans. Now research indicates it may also improve chicken health! Studies show that those fed bee pollen experience greater numbers of beneficial bacteria in their gut and faster growth rates; furthermore they lay healthier eggs with decreased transmission risks for campylobacter.
Have you noticed your bird feeder covered with bees during winter or spring, leaving you to wonder why? The answer lies within these tiny pollinators insects: They’re searching for protein-rich sources such as tree sap in order to feed their larvae since there are no flowers around at this time of year.
Bees often gather around bird feeders to gather dust and other particles produced from chicken feed and other grains used by birds; these particles serve as a substitute for pollen during winter months when flowers don’t bloom as strongly as usual. Bees also seek yeast and minerals which they consume within their hives.
They are looking for protein
Bees that feed on chicken feed typically do so to obtain protein. Chicken feed usually consists of soybean and canola meal (a byproduct from processing these plants for oil), as well as lupins, sunflower seeds, bone meal or fishmeal; these ingredients all provide more protein than most plant sources including pollen.
Bees feed on protein-rich foods like dog food and bid seed when they feel hungry, or may dig through decaying carcasses to feast upon dead lizards, toads, birds or monkeys as part of their meal – these “meat-eating bees”.
Bees feeding on chicken feed indicate their need for protein as they prepare to start brood-laying late winter or early spring, so it’s essential that your hens receive complete layer feed which contains the right balance of proteins and calcium in order to encourage healthy egg laying.
They are looking for food
Pollen and nectar are not the only forms of protein food consumed by bees; some tropical species known as Vulture Bees eat meat as their protein source. Vulture Bees belong to Trigona Genus; they have been seen eating dead animal flesh including monkeys, birds and even reptiles like lizards and snakes! Vulture Bees mix decaying meat with digestive fluid secreted from its mandibular or salivary glands so as to break it down into digestible food forms.
Bees often seek protein through various means when flower pollen becomes scarce; bees will gather around chicken feed or other unconventional protein sources, collecting chicken feed dust which contains high concentrations of amino acids that serve as an ideal replacement source. Bees may even collect this dust as a winter source for flower pollen collection.
Keep chicken feeders and bee feeders separate to avoid contamination of the chicken food with bee waste. If keeping both together, ensure your coop is tidy without holes or gaps that allow bees access.
