# Aerial assult



## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

I am sure for the older beekeepers you have seen this but it was my first Aerial assult to witness. My bees were attacked by a dragonfly the other night, in mid air the dragonfly captured a bee and off he went to a branch to feast. I have since noticed it a couple more times.
I may have to break out the 50 cal to stem the assults.


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## hemichuck (Oct 27, 2009)

****,A 50 cal, how big are them dragonflys out in Mo.?


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## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

I would have to show you in the show me state, maybe a fly swatter would be more appropriate.


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## Stephen (Mar 2, 2011)

I've got a problem with dragonflies also. In the morning and late evening I can look up into the sky above the hives and see 10-15 or so just zipping back and forth about 20-30 feet up just waiting for a high flying bee to come by. Haven't seen any down low yet by the hives though. I keep an old tennis racket by the hives for just such an insect. I haven't gotten a dragonfly with it yet but it does a number on those big hornets.


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## beyondthesidewalks (Dec 1, 2007)

I have the same problems with waspsand dragonflies. They don't seem to do enough damage to warrant any response on my part.


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## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

More then likely I will not shoot them with a 50 cal. it was just a first for me and happened right at the hive while I was watching the bees. Never thought of the bees having such predators.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

By ass-ult are you inferring some anal assault?


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## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

My mind does not work in that direction, to bad some do.


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## naturaledge (Apr 27, 2011)

last year was my first year and I saw plenty of dragon flies eating bees and I saw a bee sting a dragon fly and knock it to the ground and it dropped the bee, they have to catch them just right , had one land on my chest as it was eating a bee ,i would never kill a dragon fly there to pretty and they eat a lot of unwanted bugs


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## arthurw (May 10, 2011)

are you THAT good a shot that you could hit a moving dragonfly w/ a 50 calibur? If so, I'll stay out of your neighborhood!


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## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

It would more of hoping they would fly into the bullet, you know the bigger the bullet the better chance of *them* getting in it's way.


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## Liberty Nut (Dec 30, 2010)

arthurw said:


> are you THAT good a shot that you could hit a moving dragonfly w/ a 50 calibur? If so, I'll stay out of your neighborhood!


Relax - as long as you don't molest his bees.........


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## JakeDatc (Apr 19, 2010)

arthurw said:


> are you THAT good a shot that you could hit a moving dragonfly w/ a 50 calibur? If so, I'll stay out of your neighborhood!


It's not his neighborhood you need to worry about, it's the one 2 miles away. 50 cal will go through an engine block.. dragon fly doesn't really have much resistance


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## Kazzandra (Jul 7, 2010)

I can't imagine this being such a large problem that it would need to be controlled. You have 30-50 thousand bees per hive. How many does a dragonfly eat over it's life time? I can't imagine it being a high number. 
There may be a bit of a loss in productivity as the bees try to control the assault, but I can't imagine it would be, again, enough to control.
Dragonflies are beneficial insects, just like bees.


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## lavert5 (Mar 6, 2011)

Dragonflies eat a lot more mosquito's than they do bee's


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## dputnam (Jun 13, 2011)

Yesterday I saw a yellow jacket intercept a honeybee and bring it down to the ground. It then proceeded to section it and flew away with the forebody. It came back a few minutes later for the abdomen. Pretty amazing.


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

Where it becomes a problem real fast is if a dragonfly captures a queen returning from her mating flight. I have seen as many as 8 dragonflies flying above the hive.


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## Sherillynn (Apr 17, 2011)

I haven't witnessed the dragonfly assaults yet but I am sure it is a sight to behold. It must sort of be like National Geographic unwinding right in front of you.


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## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

This has been interesting to say the least. I did not know bees had some many natural predators or that Dragonflies would eat mosquitos. In the evenings there will be a couple of Dragonflies over head scoping out there next meal. Oh and by the way I don't really have a 50 caliber it would be fun to have one in the back yard though.


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