Mouse incursion

[Levitt53]

Hi, I checked on my hives today as it's nice and sunny. Both have bees flying and bees eating the fondant. However on one I found this damage to the crown board above the fondant. There has obviously been a mouse in here. It's eaten through the plastic but there is still plenty of fondant for the bees. I assume the mouse isn't still there as the active bees would have killed it. I've replaced the damaged crown board but left it otherwise. Is there anything else I should do?

 

[Levitt53]

I uploaded photos but have no idea where they are. Mouse droppings everywhere so probably not needed.

 

[user 6228]

make your hive stands with metal tube legs (scaffold pole) at least 0.5m high and make sure there are no adjacent accessible surfaces within 0.5m of any wooden part of the hive or platform. Beware of the Ninja mice, they exist, I have seen them in action!

 

[tonyofarr]

Do the hives have mouseguards on, or have the guards slipped? If there are no guards get them on now but make sure there are no mice still in there. Mice can totally destroy a colony over winter.

 

[enrico]

Mice will live in the bottom of the hive while the bees are the top. Have a check when weather allows. They eat chunksout of the wax and they will deficate on it too. I put all my bees on fresh comb and destroyed all the rest when it happened to m a few years ago!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Do the hives have mouseguards on, or have the guards slipped? If there are no guards get them on now but make sure there are no mice still in there. Mice can totally destroy a colony over winter.

I read the OP message as the mice were making entry via the top of the hive. If so mouse guards aren't going to help.
OP - can you clarify please?

 

[Levitt53]

Yes it has a mouse guard. It got through the crown board by chewing through it. That was one of the pics. I'm afraid the roof on there was one I had put together very badly so probably wasn't tight. I had meant to change it before winter but there you go. If it had travelled from top to bottom then I assume the bees would have dealt with it but I will check when it's next sunny. Doh!

 

[Bee Bumble]

Rodents do not have a bladder so they continually urinate wherever they go. If it had access to the combs they will be ruined even if they have not been chewed. The odour will also attract more of their friends too.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I uploaded photos but have no idea where they are. Mouse droppings everywhere so probably not needed.

think what has happened is you tried to load too big a file, load the photo file into Microsoft paint or similar and reduce the size to 50% or even 25% and sav as jpg and different file name then try reloading

 

[Erichalfbee]

Rodents do not have a bladder so they continually urinate wherever they go. If it had access to the combs they will be ruined even if they have not been chewed. The odour will also attract more of their friends too.

Nope....rats and mice have bladders. Both in new surroundings do mark frequently but they are not incontinent
I'm sure Millet will come along and comment some time soon

 

[Millet]

Nope....rats and mice have bladders. Both in new surroundings do mark frequently but they are not incontinent
I'm sure Millet will come along and comment some time soon

I have read enough on this topic to politely ignore some of the information, mice contaminating comb with urine for one , anyway i will be out with a pack on Sunday we should get in excess of 300 , i will delicately dissect one and try and get a picture of the bladder, just for you lol , what about a heart beating on the floor for around 30 seconds away from the body, seen that also Rat wise. Strange but true.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Headless chickens as well

 

[Millet]

Headless chickens as well

No chickens on the land but i will try a headless pheasant if that's any good,

 

[Erichalfbee]

No chickens on the land but i will try a headless pheasant if that's any good,

Are there any left that DEFRA hasn't nobbled as a bird flu risk?

 

[MartinL]

. . . . . what about a heart beating on the floor for around 30 seconds away from the body, seen that also Rat wise. Strange but true.

Always thought Heart muscle was more or less autonomous in all creatures?

 

[masterBK]

I think the term is "Myogenic"

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I understand the human heart muscle is indeed myogenic but the rate of contraction is influenced by neural stimuli.

 

[masterBK]

and by hormones like adrenailin (epinephrine)

 

[enrico]

And lust..... Well for me anyway!
E

 

[Gilberdyke John]

And lust..... Well for me anyway!
E

It's alright for you young uns