01-11-2016—Scrub Jay Baffle

This summer I was surprised to discover scrub jays methodically picking off bees from top bar hive. I leaned some sticks near the entrance to deter bird-on-bee snacking and observed the hive over time. Update: sticks seem to be a success! Bees pass through one spot as they exit. Without sticks, the spot is exposed. Once sticks are in place, bees have room to create variable flight patterns, which makes them difficult to catch mid-air.