# Bee war can't identify one kind



## sapphira (Mar 24, 2003)

And get on me if I am doing the wrong thing. Tons of honey bees. Clobering my hummingbird feeder. Took pity on the hummers - two adults and two very small kiddoes. They could not for the last week get near the feeder - me neither unless early morn and almost dark - dark is a no - bear about. 
Noticed this morn another kind of bee almost double the size of the honey bees, is dark with a little dull yello on head and has a darkish yello on it's tubular back end. These bees are coming in from low on tree, and grabbing honey bees and carrying them off !! Never seen this before. But searched on google and bing and can't identify the bee of this type. Can't get near. Honey bees are kinda gentle when I get near but the big ones keep things stirred up. Have not seen one hummer grab or eat a bee. I did put out 2 cups sugar water this am on top of old table near tree and it had tons of honey bees on it. there are NO flowers and almost dead bushes and trees here - the drought has been severe. Needless to say, the liquid is gone gone gone. It's almost 5 pm and less honey bees too. 
Does anyone know what type of bee the big ones are? Should I take in my bird feeder? I would move it but would make no dif - honey bees would take it over at this point no matter what. Will check back here htis evening and thanx for your help. Sapphira/Foot of blue ridge mountains, central shenandoah valley


----------



## dezingg (Feb 25, 2010)

I lost a weak colony in a wooden barrel a couple of years ago. The attacking bees seemed more aggressive, but I thought that they were the same size. I did not find the location of the colony that was attacking my colony.


----------



## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

There are wolves among animals and insects alike. What you have carrying off the honey bees are beewolves. The bees are needed to feed their developing young. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beewolf

Martin


----------



## sapphira (Mar 24, 2003)

thank you thank you !!!! THAT is definitely the big bee - never saw them before. AND under this tree is a pile of leaves that has matted down over the last year and they seemed to be coming from the pile, but was not sure. I put "bees that eat bees" into google and bing and did not get anything. I must have a colony of bees nearby as there are so many. Might email the ag extension. They always like info. Thanks again. S.


----------

