Slugs and dead bees. And composting

General Bee Chat
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I’ve got my hive sat in a water tray located on pavers. As a result there is plenty of opportunity to see what devours the dead bees dragged outside and dumped on the floor. Aside from ants (expected) I’ve also noticed slugs seem to enjoy devouring dead bees. Has anyone else noticed this?

I’m wondering whether or not it is possible to use dead bees in the vegetable garden as means of ‘pest diversion’, in the hope that slugs are preferentially attracted to the dead bees instead of the vegetables. However, I don’t want the dead bees to attract any extra slugs!

And does anyone have experience adding dead bees to compost? Does it affect the worms at all?

1 Like
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Slugs also love pollen and will scavenge it from any unguarded frames. Their poop is the color of the pollen! Dermestid beetles will eat dry dead bees. Skunks eat bees. I’d just use the standard beer pifall trap for slugs, but check to make sure the bees aren’t getting in there.
Kristina
Colorado

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Interesting…I didn’t know about them liking pollen!