mouse in the house?

[biglongdarren]

one of my hives is on a stand about 18inches of the ground,i slid a slate tile in underneath about 8 inches under the open mesh floor to see what was dropping from the hive..... there is plenty of cappings and what not but yesterday there was mouse droppings on it and halfs and bits of bee's...i cleaned it all off and today again was the same.The bee's are flying about and the hive is full of life,surley the mouse wouldnt be in the hive with all this activity,might he just be coming about at nite or what do ye's think,i havent a mouse excluder on because the entrance hole is very slim. oh and they are bringing in alot of orange poleen..any ideas what it is?...thanks Darren

 

[drstitson]

"i havent a mouse excluder on because the entrance hole is very slim"

what do you mean by slim - a low entrance is no problem for a mouse hence the need for 8-9mm holes.

 

[biglongdarren]

my guru told me that i didnt need an excluder because the hole was small enough...reguardless of that could a mouse live in a have thats brimming with lively bees?

 

[Poly Hive]

Change guru.

PH

 

[Teemore]

Darren, I don't think live mice mix well with active bees. Hopefully what you are seeing on the slate is only a sign that mice are visiting the ground under the hive to nibble at cappings and other tasty morsels that fall through the OMF and are turfed out of the entrance by the bees. It may be that their droppings only became visible when you put the slate in place. Before that they would have been virtually invisible on the ground.
It would still be worthwhile suiting up on a day the bees are out on cleansing flights, removing the entrance block and scraping the hive floor with a heavy piece of wire or something like that. If a mouse is in the hive the scraping will encourage it to vacate - just be ready to jump as it rockets out the entrance (If there is a mouse present at all...) Shine a torch in while you are at it and it should let you see if a mouse has made a nest in a corner.
Joe will keep you right anyway.

 

[Midland Beek]

A mouse can get into a hive with a standard cut into an entrance block of 8mm.

 

[Vergilius]

As the bees are in a cluster the mouse can make a nest in the hive and get by un-noticed by the "inactive" bees... This is why you don't need mouseguards in summer but you do in winter.

Ben P

 

[Poly Hive]

To test for mice.

KICK hive.

PH

 

[hedgerow pete]

i see that kick the hive technique works every where then ?

 

[biglongdarren]

i am just down from the hive now,i looked up through from underneath with a touch and couldnt see any signs of a mice or nest in the hive.
The piece of slate that the mouse droppings is on is directly below the mesh floor a few inches, and on the underside of the mesh floor there is a few dead bees hanging,i think the mouse is coming to the hive and eating these dead bee's while sitting on the slate........a trap has now been set,lets hope he likes chocolate folks .anybody any idea where all the bright orange pollen was coming from today that they were bringing in?..Darren

 

[Poly Hive]

Expound please HP?

As far as I know a damn good kick works for all hive types. Re mice that is...LOL

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

i am just down from the hive now,i looked up through from underneath with a touch and couldnt see any signs of a mice or nest in the hive.
The piece of slate that the mouse droppings is on is directly below the mesh floor a few inches, and on the underside of the mesh floor there is a few dead bees hanging,i think the mouse is coming to the hive and eating these dead bee's while sitting on the slate........a trap has now been set,lets hope he likes chocolate folks .anybody any idea where all the bright orange pollen was coming from today that they were bringing in?..Darren

My house bees were in through the open window buzzing around some lillies I got cheap from Tescos this afternood... that has orange pollen?

 

[tonybloke]

maybe crocus?

 

[biglongdarren]

the closest tesco to me is 20 mile away!..would it be gorse?

 

[jezd]

i see that kick the hive technique works every where then ?

so true, I had one in a poly hive last week, mice have flat skulls from memory to get in 8mm gaps so the idea that 8mm space stops them is pure guff

 

[Poly Hive]

Sorry to say jzed you have had a first.

what make of Poly hive and what type?

PH

 

[MuswellMetro]

i am just down from the hive now,i looked up through from underneath with a touch and couldnt see any signs of a mice or nest in the hive.
The piece of slate that the mouse droppings is on is directly below the mesh floor a few inches, and on the underside of the mesh floor there is a few dead bees hanging,i think the mouse is coming to the hive and eating these dead bee's while sitting on the slate........a trap has now been set,lets hope he likes chocolate folks .anybody any idea where all the bright orange pollen was coming from today that they were bringing in?..Darren

could the droppings be wax moth caterpillar poo

 

[biglongdarren]

its definitly mouse dung..hopefully my sneaky friend the trap will prove me right;o)

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

the closest tesco to me is 20 mile away!..would it be gorse?

Do they deliver?

 

[biglongdarren]

yea they do most meats i think...........