Odd Debris - Can Anyone I.D.?

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The Poot

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About a week of debris - under Abelo hive, standing on pallets. Looks like poo from some critter or other. Bee debris from gathering dead ones and eating in relative comfort on the tray? But what critter?1C144556-C166-483C-B464-44CA1E4447EA.jpeg8844D9BD-88EA-4523-99BF-C06747AB8BA2.jpeg
 
Yes, small rodent ... looks like it's been picking up dead bees off the floor as well ... good source of protein at this time of the year for them ... probably a field mouse or shrew. Have you got a mouse guard on the entrance or the entrance well closed down ? It's not great when they take up residence on the inspection board but it's a bloody disaster when they get inside the hive ...
 
I'd agree, field mouse maybe.
I lean toward field mouse - had (what I thought was) a shrew do this at the same hive last year - the poos were a lot smaller.
The hive stands on two pallets, so there’s a very sheltered area under it.
 
Yes, small rodent ... looks like it's been picking up dead bees off the floor as well ... good source of protein at this time of the year for them ... probably a field mouse or shrew. Have you got a mouse guard on the entrance or the entrance well closed down ? It's not great when they take up residence on the inspection board but it's a bloody disaster when they get inside the hive ...
Yes, I have a mouse guard in place. I cleared the dead from behind the guard the other day during the frosty weather, so perhaps should have removed them completely instead of leaving them in front of the hive.
I think I’ll remove the board now that the temperatures have picked up.
 
Years ago we were treated to a pest control training at work.
An a4 paper and a pencil for The inevitable breakout session perhaps?
No- the guy made us push the pencil through the paper.
Behold - a mouse friendly size entrance!
 
Years ago we were treated to a pest control training at work.
An a4 paper and a pencil for The inevitable breakout session perhaps?
No- the guy made us push the pencil through the paper.
Behold - a mouse friendly size entrance!
That must have been a real relief!🤗
 
Looks rodent like. Shrew, mouse?
I looked again today - the poos are very small - shrew sized, like last year. Looks like the poos on the board in the photos had absorbed an amount of condensate.
A bit of a relief actually!
 
I looked again today - the poos are very small - shrew sized, like last year. Looks like the poos on the board in the photos had absorbed an amount of condensate.
A bit of a relief actually!
That’s good news. Lovely little creatures are shrews.
 
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