# I have a Swallow Problem



## ChristopherBlackman (May 2, 2017)

I have a swallow problem... 
I had just moved two, single story, beehives to my friends place to catch nice fruit tree blooms so as to give the bees a fine start in the season. I came back the next day to put a second box on each one, since they were ready for an expansion, and was surprised to see a flock of eight swallows flying in figure eight, swooping, flight patterns above the hives. I know they can be real bee eaters, but I'm wondering - can a swallow flock that size pose a threat to the supply quota of the hives? Though it's disappointing to have to do it, I am prepared to pull the bees out of there if necessary - but would it be? Would the swallows move on eventually? I was only going to keep the bees there for a couple weeks anyway until the fruit tree bloom is over, but I'm having second thoughts about it with all those swallows. I haven't dealt with swallows before.
I talked to the landowner about it, and discovered that the swallows have nests in the attic of their house.


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## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

Do a little observation and some math. Do the birds stay there and eat bees all day, or do they go off to feed on something else at some point? How many bees does one swallow eat in an hour, then extrapolate to 8 bees in X hours of feeding in the day. 
You'll probably find it's only a few hundred bees lost per day. A good queen is laying several multiples of that. Also consider this, bees face a host of predators in each and every flight. You're losing hundreds per day whether you see it or not.

The biggest danger of bee eaters is the possibility of them getting a virgin queen while she's out on her mating flight.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Nonsense, I had mating nucs in a yard that had multiple bluebird and swallow nests. The birds are beautiful and I never had a problem getting queens mated and the bees did fine. There is a study [lost it long ago] that says that swallows won't eat workers because of the stings to the mouth.


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## Groundhwg (Jan 28, 2016)

You might try an owl or hawk decoy. They work to deter some birds. Even rubber snakes have worked in my garden but that is for birds lighting to eat things like strawberries, not sure if a decoy would work on birds in flight. If you really have a problem with the birds maybe a pellet gun would work.


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## Dave Burrup (Jul 22, 2008)

We have Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows around our hives all the time. Bunches of them. I have watched them, and after nine years I have yet to see them take a bee. Others complain about birds taking there bees, but I have never seen anything grab a bee twice. Not even Kingbirds.


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## subsonic (Jun 29, 2016)

We have masses of swallows here. They are usually after flies and follow me when I am cutting the field with the tractor. I don't think they eat bees to be honest. Don't shoot them as others may suggest, thats just plain stupid.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

:thumbsup:


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

Groundhwg said:


> If you really have a problem with the birds maybe a pellet gun would work.


If you can take out a flying swallow with a pellet gun, I'll tip my hat to you.


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## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

camero7 said:


> Nonsense, I had mating nucs in a yard that had multiple bluebird and swallow nests. The birds are beautiful and I never had a problem getting queens mated and the bees did fine. There is a study [lost it long ago] that says that swallows won't eat workers because of the stings to the mouth.


 Congratulations, your queens made it through the gauntlet that year. Yet other people's experience has been different than yours (several threads on this topic). Nonsense? For what reason would swallows, or any other bird, continue to swoop down in front of the hives if the only result was to get stung? They wouldn't, unless there was some reward for their effort. Like a sweet snack.


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## ChristopherBlackman (May 2, 2017)

Somebody Suggested I try using a pallet gun if the swallows are a problem. XD haha thank you to whoever suggested that, but I think I'll pass on that one. 
Besides even if I could shot a swallow in flight with my air rifle, I doubt that would do more than injure it. I've used my pellet gun on Blue-Jays before, and 930 feet per second in projectile speed doesn't do a thing to those birds! All that does is stun the poor bird for a second or two, then it clumsily flies to another branch out of sight. I don't know what a pellet gun is for to honest other then target practice. You can't even kill chipmunks with that thing unless it was a very well placed shot.


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## ChristopherBlackman (May 2, 2017)

Hops Brewster 
Thank you. Yes I'll defiantly look at them more closely. I checked their pollen and nectar stores this last Wednesday, and there was fresh nectar in there before I fed them. This was at the same time of day I had last seen the swallows in flight - but I didn't see a single swallow this time. Yes I agree with you - It's probably only a few bees eaten considering  it just surprised me when I saw it.


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## ChristopherBlackman (May 2, 2017)

camero7 said:


> There is a study [lost it long ago] that says that swallows won't eat workers because of the stings to the mouth.


That sounds like the Cliff Swallows I read up on. Those only eat drones. These are Barn Swallows I've got - but I'll be looking more closely at the bee populations to see what's going on.


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## Duncan151 (Aug 3, 2013)

African, or European? :lookout: Sorry, I just had to!


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

Between Purple Martins, Barn Swallows and Tree Swallows I have somewhere between 150-200 nesting pairs of Swallows here on our farm. In mid June, when they all have fledglings flying with them, it's not unrealistic to estimate that somewhere around 1000 Swallows are flying and feeding within 200 yards of my bee hives. 

I said that to suggest that 8 Barn Swallows aren't going to bother your beehive.


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

Brad Bee said:


> I said that to suggest that 8 Barn Swallows aren't going to bother your beehive.


Probably not, but like all things in beekeeping there's not a "one size fits all" answer. 

I'm one of the outliers who actually has experienced a problem with barn swallows feasting on my bees. I've posted about it before so I won't repeat myself, but it was bad enough that I decided to move my hives to a different location on the property.


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## Estell Tabor (Aug 5, 2014)

If I thought I had a problem with the birds I'd just shoot them. Maybe that is not an option for you,but like Brad Bee said he has a 1000 of them so your not gonna hurt the swallow population. After you shoot them you can bury them next to you borage or tomato plant they'll make good fertilizer.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Estell Tabor said:


> If I thought I had a problem with the birds I'd just shoot them. Maybe that is not an option for you,but like Brad Bee said he has a 1000 of them so your not gonna hurt the swallow population. After you shoot them you can bury them next to you borage or tomato plant they'll make good fertilizer.


I will see and raise on what badbeekeeper said. My hat is off to you if you can take out enough swallows to make a difference. I would only be able to take out a few with a shotgun and that would take several hours. J


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