Any ideas what has caused this?

[tkwinston4]

Wasn't there yesterday. I doubt it but does anyone think it could be woodpecker? We live next to woodland and we do get them in the garden but so far they have ignored my hive.
If it's not woodpecker I have no idea what it could be. Woodworm?
Also do I need to repair or is it ok to leave providing I don't get anymore damage? x

 

[VEG]

Doesn't look like pecker damage as there would normally be beak marks as it hammers the hive. Is there any evidence of something being thrown at the hive?

 

[grizzly]

What about deer ? are your hives accessible by them ? or horses ?

Looks like its been nibbled to me

 

[tkwinston4]

Defo not. It's in my garden and very well protected. 8ft high yew hedge surrounding us.
It's very odd.

 

[VEG]

Has it just fallen off? did you look for the other bit?

 

[Vortex]

Try the grey furry rat that infests our woodlands these days - the native red ones generally only eat pine nuts.

 

[tkwinston4]

And I would expect the undergrowth to be flattened and it's not.

 

[tkwinston4]

Ah Vortex I reken you may be right. Lots of them around.
How do I stop the bugger?

 

[oliver90owner]

That is a brood box? I reckon you must have hornets - great big ones that are going to eat the hive as well as the contents!! Funny place for a woodpecker to start on a hive, but perhaps there were some woodworm in there?

Without any other information I would have guessed a heavy duty strimmer had caught it. That's not a possibility though, is it? OK, I give up.

Regards, RAB

 

[tkwinston4]

Lol rab

 

[grizzly]

Its not easy to gauge the size, on second glance it looks quite small.

 

[tkwinston4]

Grizzly I think vortex maybe right with the squirrel suggestion.
Just got to work out how to stop it now.

 

[VEG]

Cover it in loose chicken wire thats how you stop the peckers as well.

 

[tkwinston4]

Ok will do. Thanks for all the replys guys x

 

[thurrock bees]

stop them with a 12 bore or a .22 air rifle ( they are classed as a pest)

 

[rae]

Just got to work out how to stop it now.

.22 rimmy at about 60 yards. Put some nuts somewhere close by (not in line so you hit the hive), zero the sights on the nuts and nail them as they come in. They're very stupid, and once you've got one, their mates will come back to see why they're lying there. Got 4 in about 10 minutes last summer, and the birds could finally get a look in at the bird table. Good eating too.

Air rifle needs to be very close - they're tough little gits, unless you hit them square in the head with an air-rifle, they won't die quietly.

 

[thurrock bees]

not everyone has a FAC

 

[Somerford]

You can buy a wire cage squirrel trap for £30 ish, then release them 10 miles away if you don't want to kill them

S

 

[tkwinston4]

You can buy a wire cage squirrel trap for £30 ish, then release them 10 miles away if you don't want to kill them

S

Thanks for that Somerford. Vegetarians tend not to go round killing animals no matter what their status on the pest list.

I will try the chicken wire route first and then the trap because we have lots of squirrels around us. I counted six in the garden at one point last year!

What about those sonic cat repellents? We have one somewhere that i used when we first moved in to deter the cats from the road. Do you think the sound would affect the bees?

 

[Heather]

I am veggie - and I have shot about 60 of the little tree rats!!
You are NOT allowed to trap and release- 'illegal to release vermin into the wild' - but I have had them running round my house, chewing wire and trashing stuff so they had to go - it is much quieter these days