A mystery

[Griffo]

Just doing a quick visual check on one of my hives this afternoon and found a short length of string, about 6 inches of it, laying on the alighting board, half in and half out of the entrance. While there may be lots of bits of string like this kicking around the garden I have positively never taken any near this hive. Does anybody have any theories how it got there ? MIce maybe ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you mean some creature took it into the hive?
More likely the bees have cleaned it out. Do you have any gaffer tape inside? That has string in it.

 

[Griffo]

Nothing in there that I can think of. Could the bees shift a 6 inch piece of string?
If so, then I guess this is the most likely explanation. I was thinking it might be a mouse trying to move nest building material in.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nothing in there that I can think of. Could the bees shift a 6 inch piece of string?

Yes they could.
Mice not likely this time of year. Far too early. The bees would eat them alive

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

blown there by the wind?

 

[For want of a better word]

String faries... always about when there is a meteor shower!

Yeghes da

 

[YorkshireBees]

or wind up by partner / another member of the family / anon.

 

[Millet]

I have helped my wet tired bee's onto onto there air strip many a time when they miss there target fully loaded with what a believe nectar.. what i do is let the weak climb on a grass seed head and then place it on the landing strip.. maybe some kind hearted folk done similar with a piece of string...

 

[thorn]

Was it Polish string?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Was it Polish string?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Was it Polish string?

 

[Griffo]

It was half in and half out, so something was either trying to take it in, or take it out. Human interference very unlikely. Next inspection I will drop the string inside the hive and see if they shift it.

 

[Elaine]

When I have used elastic bands in the hive to hold wild comb into frames, it doesn't take long before the bees have fastened the com into the farm and then chewed through the bands and dragged them out. I've also seen them drag large pieces of cling film from a feeding eke, through a 10mm slot, and down through the hive, to deposit it outside! Teamwork can accomplish amazing things