COLONIZATION OF WILDLIFE NEST BOXES BY HONEY-BEE SWARMS

Boxes designed to serve as nesting sites for vertebrate wildlife were deployed in a mixed hardwood forest. After the box entrances were closed with plywood panels, 30% of the boxes became colonized by honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) swarms during one season. Nest boxes were coincidentally appealing to honey bees because of their volume, height, and accessibility through ventilation holes. To avoid bee colonization of their nest boxes, wildlife organizations should alter the nest box design or placement to discourage honey bee colonization, and should understand the methods necessary to exterminate bees from occupied nest boxes.