Entrance sponge vanished!

[Tomo]

Hi, just a quick observation.....towards the middle of September I restricted the entrance of one of my hives with a cut down washing up sponge. I wedged it in to one side nice and tight, no way was it coming out of its own accord. Checked the hives 3 weeks ago it was still wedged in tight. Had a look today for a regular look about and the entrance sponge was completely gone without a trace! No bits on the floor no bits anywhere! Any ideas/experiences? Not worried at all. Everything seems fine apart from a normal size entrance, just interested. Thanks.

 

[midnight sun]

Hi, just a quick observation.....towards the middle of September I restricted the entrance of one of my hives with a cut down washing up sponge. I wedged it in to one side nice and tight, no way was it coming out of its own accord. Checked the hives 3 weeks ago it was still wedged in tight. Had a look today for a regular look about and the entrance sponge was completely gone without a trace! No bits on the floor no bits anywhere! Any ideas/experiences? Not worried at all. Everything seems fine apart from a normal size entrance, just interested. Thanks.

If it was sponge cake, then they would have probably eaten it!
As it was not and it has not blown away then there is the likelihood that they have chewed it up to get rid of it and the remnants have been washed away with the rain.
A friend put some fondant on his hive recently covered with Clingfilm to stop it drying out. Four days later the Clingfilm, minus the fondant, was ejected from the hive entrance (the tail end still just inside the entrance). It appears they managed to drag it though the hole in the in the feeder board, right through between the frames and out of the entrance! Still in one piece.
How's that for an example of a 'super organism' working as one unit?

 

[jonnybeegood]

Hi, just a quick observation.....towards the middle of September I restricted the entrance of one of my hives with a cut down washing up sponge. I wedged it in to one side nice and tight, no way was it coming out of its own accord. Checked the hives 3 weeks ago it was still wedged in tight. Had a look today for a regular look about and the entrance sponge was completely gone without a trace! No bits on the floor no bits anywhere! Any ideas/experiences? Not worried at all. Everything seems fine apart from a normal size entrance, just interested. Thanks.

could be a mouse/rat or other animal pulled it out looking for access & its blown away, I would be checking for mice inside?

 

[enrico]

Wind blew it out. Regularly lose my entrances. The wind goes through the OMF and blows it out from the inside! My guess!
E

 

[Arfermo]

Wind blew it out. Regularly lose my entrances. The wind goes through the OMF and blows it out from the inside! My guess!
E

Serve you right if you don't wedge them if they are not a tight fit. Thought you were an experienced beek?

 

[REDWOOD]

I hope that was said with tongue in cheek

 

[user 6228]

Sponge ? the bees can easily do for that.
Tunnelling is a trait of honeybees that isnt studied... but believe me they do!

 

[mikeyboy]

Have you not got a mouse guard on?

 

[bontbee]

sponge ain't a brilliant entrance block - not only can it be nibbled, it holds moisture (- sorry , may not be relevant to you, I didn't notice if you run wooden or polys.)

 

[enrico]

Serve you right if you don't wedge them if they are not a tight fit. Thought you were an experienced beek?

Mmmmm, wrong side of bed?
If I was over concerned I would wedge them in but.......My experience tells me to be chilled......pity yours doesn't!
E

 

[SixFooter]

I used sponges to block hive entrances a few years ago. They were all chewed from the outside during the winter. One colony did indeed have mouse damage inside. The next year, I bought mouse guards.

 

[jonnybeegood]

I used a really dense foam used for floor mats to reduce the entrancies on my poly hives this year, the bees chewed them from the inside out, i never found any bits so presumed they carried them away from the hive in tiny bits. When i noticed bees coming out from the ends where they shouldnt, i pulled them out to find thin strips left which were doing nothing to help.

 

[Tomo]

I have a wooden entrance reducer on anyway as they are commercials, made it even smaller down to 20mm x 10mm, so I was going to remove it eventually. Looks like they just blew out! Another experience to be logged......