Honeybees' main predators:
- Kanna Das
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Honeybees' main predators and how the bees deal with them.
Honeybees face a variety of predators, each with different strategies for hunting and consuming them. The ways honeybees deal with these threats also vary, often involving collective defense mechanisms.
Here are the main predators of honeybees and how the bees deal with them:
1. Wasps (especially Yellow Jackets and Hornets):
How they prey: Wasps are common predators, especially yellow jackets and hornets, which will attack foraging bees, intercept them at the hive entrance, or even enter the hive to raid honey and bee larvae. Some larger hornets, like the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), can decimate entire colonies.
Honeybee defense:
Guard bees: Bees at the hive entrance act as guards, challenging and fighting off intruders.
Stinging: Individual bees will sting wasps, sometimes sacrificing themselves.
"Ball-up" defense: Against larger hornets, particularly in some Asian honeybee species (Apis cerana), bees will swarm the hornet, forming a tight ball around it. They then vibrate their flight muscles to raise the temperature inside the ball, effectively "baking" the hornet to death.
Alarm pheromones: When a threat is detected, bees release alarm pheromones to alert and recruit more defenders.
Entombment: If a large intruder is killed inside the hive (and is too big to remove), bees may "entomb" it in propolis (a resinous substance), effectively sealing it off to prevent decomposition and disease.
2. Birds:
How they prey: Many bird species, particularly bee-eaters, shrikes, and certain flycatchers, are adept at catching bees in mid-air.
Honeybee defense: While individual bees can try to evade birds, there isn't a specific collective defense strategy against aerial avian predators. The sheer numbers of a colony offer some resilience against individual bee losses. Foraging routes might also be adjusted if a particular area proves to be a high-risk predation zone.
3. Mammals (Bears, Skunks, Raccoons, Badgers, Mice):
How they prey:
Bears: Bears are significant predators, especially black bears, driven by their love for honey and bee larvae. They can destroy entire hives to get at the contents.
Skunks, Raccoons, Raccoons, and Mice: Mice primarily enter hives in winter when bee activity is low, seeking shelter and eating comb, honey, and even dead bees.
Honeybee defense:
Stinging: Bees will sting attacking mammals, particularly bears and skunks, aiming for sensitive areas like the eyes and nose.
Propolis barrier: Bees use propolis to seal small cracks and reduce the size of the hive entrance, making it harder for mice and other small creatures to enter.
Clustering: In winter, bees form a tight cluster, which generates heat and makes it difficult for invaders to move through the hive.
4. Spiders (Web-building and Ambush Spiders):
How they prey: Web-building spiders capture bees in their sticky webs, while ambush spiders (like crab spiders) lie in wait on flowers to snatch foraging bees.
Honeybee defense: Bees generally avoid webs. If a bee gets caught, it may buzz violently to try and free itself, sometimes attracting other bees who might attempt a rescue.
5. Insects (Praying Mantises, Dragonflies, Robber Flies):
How they prey: These insects are ambush predators that catch foraging bees. Praying mantises often wait on flowers, while robber flies are aerial predators.
Honeybee defense: Similar to birds and spiders, bees have limited specific defenses against these individual insect predators beyond evasive maneuvers during flight.
6. Mites (e.g., Varroa Mites):
How they prey: While not traditional predators that consume bees whole, parasitic mites like Varroa destructor are arguably the most damaging "predator" of honeybees globally. They feed on the fat body of adult bees and larvae, weaken the bees, and transmit viruses, leading to colony collapse.
Honeybee defense:
Grooming behaviour: Some honeybee populations exhibit "hygienic behaviour," where worker bees detect and uncap cells containing diseased brood or mites, removing them. They also groom themselves and each other to remove mites.
Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH): This is a genetic trait in some bees where they are more adept at identifying and removing mite-infested pupae.
Chemical defenses: Beekeepers often employ treatments to control mite populations, as the bees' natural defenses are often insufficient against severe infestations.
In essence, honeybee defense is a testament to the power of collective action, ranging from individual sacrifice to intricate group behaviours, all aimed at ensuring the survival of the superorganism – the colony.
Video of Honeybees are attacking the hornets by balling up
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