Author Topic: Spiders  (Read 1897 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Wandering Man

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1839
  • Thanked: 175 times
  • Gender: Male
    • Life Lessons from dogs, bees and others
  • Location: Victoria, Texas
Spiders
« on: September 29, 2016, 08:03:58 pm »
Do spiders catch and eat Small Hive Beetles?

I dug into my hives today and both had some kind of black spiders living under the top cover.  I squished them, and then worried that maybe they were doing some good for my bees.
Never argue with drunks or crazy people

Offline brooksbeefarm

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2566
  • Thanked: 89 times
  • Location: fair grove, mo.
Re: Spiders
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2016, 09:13:00 pm »
If they are the black fuzzy looking spider i don't bother them,BUT, if it's a Black Widow or Brown recluse it get's the hive tool :yes:. Jack
The following users thanked this post: Wandering Man

Offline neillsayers

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2173
  • Thanked: 197 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Arkansas Ozarks, U.S.A.
Re: Spiders
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2016, 10:57:13 pm »
If they are the black fuzzy looking spider i don't bother them,BUT, if it's a Black Widow or Brown recluse it get's the hive tool :yes:. Jack
What Jack said. Don't know if they will do in a SHB or not but if one gets in her web...probably. My bee yard is on the edge of the woods and during summer every hive has daddy-long-legs hanging out all over the hive. I used to be really rough with them, just because they creeped me out. Then I looked them up and found out their food source was small insects including seed ticks and MITES! Now I gently brush them out of the way. :)
Neill Sayers
Herbhome Bees
USDA Zone 7a
The following users thanked this post: Perry, Wandering Man