Fondant eaten by mice

[simonforeman]

Just been to check out apiary hives and all 6 alive and looking good.

I have 14x12 hive that has a slab of fondantbon the top of frames. There is mouse droppings on yhe top of the bag and also fondant eaten by them.

Whats best action at this time of the year please?

I was planning to leave and as soon as a warm calm day go through them and see if its still in there.

 

[drex]

Mice make a mess and bees are reluctant to go anywhere the mouse has pidddled, which will be everywhere. On a warming day I would open up entrance wide and bang vigorously on the. Boxes, and the mouse might race out.
The contents of the hive are prettying much junked and I would start it all off again, chucking the comb and cleaning up boxes ( and frames if you are into that)

 

[enrico]

Your first mouse is generally your last. The whole lot is useless. Mouse pee and droppings and honey do NOT go together. Next year use mouse guards.
E

 

[Ian123]

Remove the fondant and give them some more if it’s needed close up or give a new roof mouse has found access some place.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Your first mouse is generally your last. The whole lot is useless. Mouse pee and droppings and honey do NOT go together. Next year use mouse guards.
E

Or steddle stone hive stands

 

[beeno]

Your first mouse is generally your last. The whole lot is useless. Mouse pee and droppings and honey do NOT go together. Next year use mouse guards.
E

Well, said: I hope the no-need-for-mouse-guards-brigade take notice and change tack.

 

[gmonag]

Just been to check out apiary hives and all 6 alive and looking good.

I have 14x12 hive that has a slab of fondantbon the top of frames. There is mouse droppings on yhe top of the bag and also fondant eaten by them.

Whats best action at this time of the year please?

I was planning to leave and as soon as a warm calm day go through them and see if its still in there.

Do you have solid floors or OMF?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well, said: I hope the no-need-for-mouse-guards-brigade take notice and change tack.

Is there anybody with a standard entrance who doesn't use mouse guards?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Is there anybody with a standard entrance who doesn't use mouse guards?

Reduced entrances on all, I don't use MGs.

 

[pargyle]

Is there anybody with a standard entrance who doesn't use mouse guards?

The Paynes Polys on the stands I use always have a reduced entrance - it's big enough for most of the time - even mid season when there is a decent flow they manage with it. I've never had a mouse problem although we do have mice in the garden ... I think the overhang provided by the large landing board and my stands assists as it would need to be a fairly gymnastic mouse to get to the entrance. The Paynes entrance block also has a built in option with just a few bee size holes although I've never needed to use that side of the block.

https://paynesbeefarm.co.uk/collections/poly-national-hive/products/plastic-entrance-block
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99514363@N06/albums/72157644503927472

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is there anybody with a standard entrance who doesn't use mouse guards?

I suppose the people who use their brains to think have no need of mouse guards as they use entrance blocks with entrances only 8mm high.
Never used mouse guards at the association apiary as we had the 8mm high entrances and yes, we had loads of mice there - often found them in the feral beekeepers pile of junk and sometimes under hive roofs

 

[GuyNir]

The Paynes Polys on the stands I use always have a reduced entrance - it's big enough for most of the time - even mid season when there is a decent flow they manage with it. I've never had a mouse problem although we do have mice in the garden ... I think the overhang provided by the large landing board and my stands assists as it would need to be a fairly gymnastic mouse to get to the entrance. The Paynes entrance block also has a built in option with just a few bee size holes although I've never needed to use that side of the block.

https://paynesbeefarm.co.uk/collections/poly-national-hive/products/plastic-entrance-block
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99514363@N06/albums/72157644503927472

I also use those year round. No issues.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Reduced entrances on all, I don't use MGs.

The Paynes Polys on the stands I use always have a reduced entrance - it's big enough for most of the time - even mid season when there is a decent flow they manage with it. I've never had a mouse problem although we do have mice in the garden ... I think the overhang provided by the large landing board and my stands assists as it would need to be a fairly gymnastic mouse to get to the entrance. The Paynes entrance block also has a built in option with just a few bee size holes although I've never needed to use that side of the block.

https://paynesbeefarm.co.uk/collections/poly-national-hive/products/plastic-entrance-block
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99514363@N06/albums/72157644503927472

I suppose the people who use their brains to think have no need of mouse guards as they use entrance blocks with entrances only 8mm high.
Never used mouse guards at the association apiary as we had the 8mm high entrances and yes, we had loads of mice there - often found them in the feral beekeepers pile of junk and sometimes under hive roofs

I also use those year round. No issues.

Exactly

 

[simonforeman]

Do you have solid floors or OMF?

Omf

 

[Curly green finger's]

Exactly

Ours are no bigger than 75mm x 8mm all year round on some.
I do like to take an entrance block right out with the summer flows on big colonys.
I didnt get round to doing this either. Maybe this winter.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ours are no bigger than 75mm x 8mm all year round on some.
I do like to take an entrance block right out with the summer flows on big colonys.
I didnt get round to doing this either. Maybe this winter. View attachment 24311

Yes I did that with frame nails one season; a tip I picked up years ago here.

 

[Into the lions den]

Not sure why anyone uses the deep entrances...probably its a 'because we always made them that way' type of issue...locked into a standard design that is at least 70yrs out of date.

When I was a boy they were not being much used..at least as far back as 1960 floors with ..as described at the time 3/8" deep entrances. You never get mice in those if the rest of the hive is correctly set up. I think our last deeper floors probably went on the fire around 1961 or 62.

Have some floors from old Smiths that used to belong to Athole Kirkwood still in service....made in the early 50s...all 3/8". No mouse guards, no entrance reducers.

 

[beeno]

From ITMA that sadly does not post anymore.
"A "British Standard" mouse is believed to be able to get through a wide slot that is 8mm high, but it is not believed to be able to get through an 8mm diameter circular hole. It can flatten, but not narrow, its head by rearranging its jaw ... "

 

[Newbeeneil]

I love the sounds on this mouse trial!

 

[pargyle]

I love the sounds on this mouse trial!

So that Mouse could manage an 18mm circular hole and the shrew could manage a 17.5mm one.... seems unlikely to me that a gap 8mm high would be enough for a 'normal' mouse to get through ...

The rule seems to be that if a mouse or shrew can get their head through then it will be able to get its body through as well as long as is has a surface outside the gap that it can gain a purchase from its rear legs. I can't find anywhere that says a mouse is able to dislocate its jaws to get through a space smaller than its head.

Obviously juvenile mice and shrews are much smaller and will be able to get into smaller openings.