# Bees in my bird feeder (strange behavior?)



## baranjhn (Oct 29, 2009)

I'm going into my second year of beekeeping, and I didn't see this last year. My bees are actively "rooting" around in my bird feeders. They are actually digging up in to the slots to get into the seeds. It looks like some of them have something in the pollen baskets while they do this. Any ideas? Is this normal?


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## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

this is normal when no pollen is available. they will pick up saw dust, grain dust,etc. as soon as natural pollen is available they will act normal again.


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## kldreyer (Sep 8, 2009)

yeah, mine too! but just the sunflower seed feeders, not thistle or mix. Birds weren't too keen on their hanging around.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

Mine are doing the same up at my moms house. I wonder if they are doing that to the neighbors houses down the road. I put a chunk of protein patty in the feeder at moms so they were getting something good. :thumbsup:


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## stripstrike (Aug 29, 2009)

Got over 60 here today and both yard hives were out and about, sampling the mulch pile for orange peels, the bird feeders, the suet, you name it. Slipped in protein patties to make sure they had something worthwhile to 'nosh on.


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## Growing Boy (Jan 28, 2009)

Chances are there's a whole lot of sunflower pollen in with the sunflower seed.
Havesting sunflowers for bird seed is pretty unselective when it comes the maturity of the plant. Nor do they clean the seed that well.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Well, they do work bird feeders. But, they gather more than dust. Tell me...how do they carry white millet??


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## RedDave (Apr 5, 2010)

Interesting. Once I spread some left-over corn bread on a board for my chickens and later noticed several bees evidently eating it.
Dave


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## JakeDatc (Apr 19, 2010)

Michael Palmer said:


> Well, they do work bird feeders. But, they gather more than dust. Tell me...how do they carry white millet??
> 
> 
> "It's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut. " -monty python


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

And bumblebees can't fly.


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

I have seen Millet on the landing boards before hummmm mabee thats why my bees died I dont feed millet any more :lookout:


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## baranjhn (Oct 29, 2009)

I thought it was odd, but that makes sense. They were actually burrowing deeper into the feeder looking for those choice bits. Seed was spilling everywhere, and every now and again, one of the bees would pull something out that was too heavy and they'd drop like a stone to the ground!


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## Gundog1959 (Jun 17, 2010)

The bees literally ran my chickens back in the coop today.The feeders are in the out side pen and bees were everywhere.I took a close look at the bees and they were actually rolling around in cracked corn.I guess they were getting the mill dust.My chickens will be glad when something starts blooming.


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## 1 Old Lady (Feb 12, 2021)

I have the same problem with my bird feeders. For the past 2 weeks bee's have been swarming all my feeders. Not hundreds but thousands, I have 5 big feeders & humming bird feeders but they are bothering the hummingbird feeders. They actually empty the feeders on the ground, and then get in it there. I live on a mountain, away from towns and I have been getting seed for the birds during the winter every year, never had this before...


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## Tarheeler (Jan 27, 2021)

Mine have been collecting chicken food dust lol


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