# Protecting exiting bees from a hive from Hungry Butcher birds

**URL:** <https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/protecting-exiting-bees-from-a-hive-from-hungry-butcher-birds/4166>\
**Category:** Pests and Diseases\
**Created:** [December 13, 2015, 9:38pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/protecting-exiting-bees-from-a-hive-from-hungry-butcher-birds/4166 "2015-12-13T21:38:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Eva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@Eva](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Eva)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/protecting-exiting-bees-from-a-hive-from-hungry-butcher-birds/4166/42 "2018-10-15T12:19:54Z")

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I just found this thread & love the bird videos @JeffH and the hilarious cat pic @dustyturtle 😂 My cat Jimmy’s favorite hangout all summer was on the paving stones behind two of my hives. I figure he must enjoy the humming sound and honey smell. These hives are in front of a tree line and were also being hassled by songbirds in springtime once the bee activity increased enough to catch their attention. I had a real internal conflict over that one - am bird-obsessed and also pro-bee 😅 Old Jimmy’s daily presence soon put the birds off that area of the yard.

@David_Gray if you don’t have a kitty cat who’ll lounge around your apiary I would try hanging aluminum pie plates over and around your hives. This is what a lot of gardeners do to keep hungry crows and such away from crops. There are also motion-detecting owls that people use to scare off other critters - might add some comedy to your landscape too.

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**Author:** ![Semaphore](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/semaphore/32/14994_2.png) [@Semaphore](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Semaphore)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 11:30pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/protecting-exiting-bees-from-a-hive-from-hungry-butcher-birds/4166/43 "2018-10-15T23:30:03Z")

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just to second Eva’s suggestion: you could try those fake owls, cats, or birds of prey.

these type of things:

[https://www.google.com/search?q=bird+scarer&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjn8674zIneAhXHVrwKHbZkD1QQ\_AUIDygC&biw=1756&bih=881](https://www.google.com/search?q=bird+scarer&client=firefox-b&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjn8674zIneAhXHVrwKHbZkD1QQ_AUIDygC&biw=1756&bih=881)

EDIT: just noticed I suggested the same months ago…

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**Author:** ![Eva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@Eva](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Eva)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 11:13am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/protecting-exiting-bees-from-a-hive-from-hungry-butcher-birds/4166/44 "2018-10-16T11:13:48Z")

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You know, when I think about a flock of 50 Bee Eaters a bit more I wonder if you’d be better off tenting your hives with bird netting @David_Gray? Kind of a pain for inspections I guess.

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