Chickens can be a friend to the honey bees! If you are considering keeping a few chickens, allowing them to free range or roam around your beehives, you just may be surprised at their usefulness.
As natural “pest controllers”, chickens will enjoy cleaning up dead debris around the hives, as well as feast on bugs and beetles that you don’t want around your apiary. Don’t worry, if the chickens wander around the front of the hives and disrupt the colony, the guard bees will let your fine feathered friends know that they need to go elsewhere.
If you have unfortunately lost a hive and wax moths have taken over a frame or two, let the chickens enjoy the larvae as a treat. Having chickens around the hives can help a beekeeper keep an eye on the health of the bees. An active hive is a healthy hive!
If you have chickens that like to follow you around, best keep them cooped up when you are working the hives, especially during hot summer days. This makes for a more peaceful experience not having to worry about the chickens irritating the bees, possibly making you the target of a sting!
Post a comment and let us know about your experience with chickens and honey bees!
~Julie