Mouse damage.

[Jordy]

Spent last season building up my first colony & thought I'd done quite well.
My hive went into winter with what I considered quite a strong & healthy amount of bees that had stored up well between their own efforts & my winter feeding. End of January comes with fine days but I see or hear no sign of activity but there are cappings heaped on the ground under my omf hive.
I shone a torch up through the floor to see nothing but dead bees & mouse feet. Took the hive apart (4 mice bailing out) to find a hole eaten through five frames of comb & the resulting stink of rodent. What action do I need to take to make the hive acceptable to bees again? Do I need to disinfect the whole thing or just 'air' it out. Are the untouched combs okay to use again?
Any advice gratefully received - except for "fit a mouseguard" - that is a lesson harshly learned! Cheers.

 

[belinda bee]

I had a rodent problem once on our farm but i never fit mousegaurds i also burnt the untouched frames as mice and rats have incontinence i would sterilise the whole hive with a blow torch. I fit a block with a very small hole so bees can escape also mesh floor so theres plenty of air circulation.

if it is mice it may need just a good sterile job but if it was RATS BE CAREFUL VIALS DISEASE KILLS ITS CARRIED IN THE RATS URINE ONCE IN A CUT IT COULD BE A HOSPITAL JOB OR COFFIN , dont mean to scare .

 

[nonstandard]

I agree with belinda regarding the main hive parts,

I would scorch out the hive but you could probably cut out and reclaim the wax depending on how bad it is and then clean up the frames.

Thread on cleaning frames

 

[Vergilius]

Scorch with a blow torch. Replace frame foundation.


Ben P

 

[Haughton Honey]

I had a rodent problem once on our farm but i never fit mousegaurds i also burnt the untouched frames as mice and rats have incontinence i would sterilise the whole hive with a blow torch. I fit a block with a very small hole so bees can escape also mesh floor so theres plenty of air circulation.

if it is mice it may need just a good sterile job but if it was RATS BE CAREFUL VIALS DISEASE KILLS ITS CARRIED IN THE RATS URINE ONCE IN A CUT IT COULD BE A HOSPITAL JOB OR COFFIN , dont mean to scare .

I can't agree with this more.

I had Weil's disease in 2006 (caught from cattle, not rats in my case) and I can honestly say I have never ever felt so ill in my life.

The mortality rate is also about 4%.

 

[ROCKIT]

I also have had a mouse/rat/weasel? problem.
It would appear that, even though I fitted a mouseguard on the entrance, the plastic mesh on the bottom of the hive has been breached! (I know, cheap hive !)
I have remedied the problem by cutting out the centre of the slide in base board and fitting some extra mesh (steel). Saves stripping the home of what is a generally a strong colony in the winter weather.
Do the offenders tend to visit in the night? Or do they generally live inside the hive?
If they live in the hive, then I better had strip it out and chase them off!

 

[nonstandard]

I think the standard procedure for evicting unwanted tenants is to give the hive a good hard clout; in your case you will have to remove the mouse guard first to allow them an exit

 

[Storm™]

Weils or wells disease is also known as leptosperosis. And can be caught from the following:

Rivers/streams polluted with infected rats urinating.
Water pipes where infected rats have traversed
Beer cellars where infected rats urinate on bottles

Not all rats carry this though. If I remember rightly pigs and dogs can also carry it.

The other one to watch out for if your out in the long grass often - Limes disease - from tic bites.

 

[drstitson]

would that be Lyme disease?

re Lepto - not nice - have personally looked after a terminal case (canoeist).

 

[Storm™]

would that be Lyme disease?

re Lepto - not nice - have personally looked after a terminal case (canoeist).

LMAO why yes it would. I know it's that spelling - the iPhone autospell did not. Doh.

 

[Jordy]

Jeez fellas!! I had 4 mice living in the hive....not a local outbreak of the black death!! Read all your replies with interest tho'.....seems like a bit of flamethrower practice is in order then. Any more replies greatfully received, before I come back to report on the 'Great fire of Cleveland'. Thanks all.