Rodent disaster

[MrMouse]

Hi folks,
Went into the old shed to get something out and noticed a rather rodenty smell.

The 8 drawn supers tucked in the corner wrapped, with a metal queen excluder top and bottom as been utterly ruined by rats.
Fortunately the boxes are ok but the frames and obviously the combs are gonners.

How would you all clean up the boxes (mixture of wood and poly)

Probably just scorch the wooden ones?

 

[Swarm]

With a metal excluder top and bottom, how are the boxes OK and the frames not? Only way I can think of is the exclders were moved.
Either way, I would try a long soak in very strong bleach solution. I was initially tempted to say burn the lot.

 

[JamezF]

With a metal excluder top and bottom, how are the boxes OK and the frames not?

That would be my initial concern too.

James

 

[MrMouse]

Yep the top excluder had moved. Probably by me fumbling around with the mower towards the end of the summer.

Very annoyed with myself but these things happen.

I have a feeling burning the lot might be the best answer. Sadly.


One of the supers does have a gnawed rat sized hole in it (that one has already been burned)

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have a feeling burning the lot might be the best answer. Sadly.

Rats
Leptospirosis
Burn it all.

 

[Sutty]

Rats
Leptospirosis
Burn it all.

Leptospira are easy organisms to kill so I wouldn't worry about that specifically, detergent or heat will do it easily.
Incidentally other rodents (eg mice) as well as dogs, cows etc can carry it.
I'd suggest a good scrub with detergent then a long soak in a bleach or hydrogen peroxide solution.

 

[Garry R]

Rats
Leptospirosis
Burn it all.

I agree and in future store wet frames in an old fridge or freezer. Wasp, wax moth and rodent proof!

 

[Amari]

Hi folks,
Went into the old shed to get something out and noticed a rather rodenty smell.

Might be wise to change your pseudonym......

 

[MrMouse]

I think I’ll burn the wooden supers and bleach the Payne’s poly box as it would be nice to save that.

Much as though the loss of the supers is a pain, the real loss is the frames and comb.

 

[BernardBlack]

Yep the top excluder had moved. Probably by me fumbling around with the mower towards the end of the summer.

Very annoyed with myself but these things happen.

I have a feeling burning the lot might be the best answer. Sadly.


One of the supers does have a gnawed rat sized hole in it (that one has already been burned)

A wooden super??

 

[BernardBlack]

Just out of interest, what does a rodenty smell, smell like?

I have my boxes/frames in a shed. I have caught a couple of mice in the last few months, but luckily no damage to any boxes, comb etc.

I’ve sealed any gaps I can see, so hopefully that’s the end of them.

My other shed at the apiary site wouldn’t be as secure (corrugated roof), so I don’t tend to store much equipment there. But not seen any signs or smells of rodents yet.

Other than droppings and nibbling, what else should you be looking out for?

 

[MrMouse]

I opened the shed door and was met with a fug of rat urine smell.

As a urology doctor, I’m used to urine but rat wee is absolutely foul.

 

[JamezF]

A wooden super??

Honestly. Rats are just like that. I think they have some sort of mental health issue. They don't seem to know how to accept that chewing through something may be a step too far. It's probably brought on by eating too much concrete or something.

James

 

[MrMouse]

I wasn’t quite right when I said the boxes were fine


Unsurprisingly, dry, waxy frames burn very well indeed.
The next door neighbour wasn’t too impressed by the 7-8 foot flames and so I’ll re-light it another day when they’re out.

 

[JamezF]

I wasn’t quite right when I said the boxes were fine

They've not even gone in the easy way, there.

James

 

[Garry R]

Honestly. Rats are just like that. I think they have some sort of mental health issue. They don't seem to know how to accept that chewing through something may be a step too far. It's probably brought on by eating too much concrete or something.

James

Rat's teeth never stop growing so they have to nibble to keep their incisors the correct length. Obviously the smell of something to eat acts as an attractant but they will chew anything.

 

[Sutty]

Rat's teeth never stop growing so they have to nibble to keep their incisors the correct length. Obviously the smell of something to eat acts as an attractant but they will chew anything.

I read years ago that about 20% of house fires are caused by rats knawing electric cables.

 

[BernardBlack]

I opened the shed door and was met with a fug of rat urine smell.

As a urology doctor, I’m used to urine but rat wee is absolutely foul.

Ugh! Sounds disgusting.

Rat urine can cause Weil’s Disease, right?

 

[Sutty]

Ugh! Sounds disgusting.

Rat urine can cause Weil’s Disease, right?

Weil's disease is leptospirosis which was mentioned earlier in the thread. Also called rat fever, etc.
Of course bees forage for water in damp soil, which when inhabited by rodents (eg ditches) favours the bacterium responsible - it dies if dried out.
I've never heard of it being transmitted by bees though!

 

[Garry R]

I read years ago that about 20% of house fires are caused by rats knawing electric cables.

There are likely to be statistics about the number of rat deaths caused by gnawing electric cables!