Wax moth/mice and polyhives

[dclewis]

A question for polyhive owners.
I have a few poly mating nucs. I have noted that the wax moth larvae bore straight into the poly nucs before pupating, resulting in a bad case of apparent woodworm in the poly. This is during period when bees not in nucs. Also the mice seem to enjoy chewing at the hives in storage.

Have you found that your poly hives are much susceptible to serious wax moth and mouse damage particularly during periods of storage than standard woodware?

 

[enrico]

Any bee keeping equipment needs to be stored in mice proof area. They will eat gloves, extractors, hives, frames, in fact anything that has a smell of honey!
It's not just poly hives!

 

[Finman]

A question for polyhive owners.
I have a few poly mating nucs. I have noted that the wax moth larvae bore straight into the poly nucs before pupating,?

That is true. Larvae can destroy a box wall if they are many.

That is a big harm because robbing bees can go via larva tunnel and they start bigger honey robbing. Difficulkt to notice all holes.

?

Also the mice seem to enjoy chewing at the hives in storage.?

Rats or mice? One way is fool them when you put the boxes onto wire mesh. Buggs try to penetrate via metall mesh because food odor is stonger there.
.

But few mating nucs you may easily protect. And put the mating combs into freezener to kill wax moth eggs.

 

[susbees]

One of our breeding group members sports a set of remodelled apideas...riddled with moth pre-pupation holes.

 

[Hombre]

I never cease to be amazed by the number of people that have freezer room to put in half a dozen 14x12 frames or more. Is this reality or a mythical beekeeper we always refer to I wonder?

No word of tantrums from the tender gender either . . . it must bee an urban myth!

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

No word of tantrums from the tender gender either . . . it must bee an urban myth!

Or perhaps, on this occasion, an urbane myth.

Dusty.

 

[susbees]

I never cease to be amazed by the number of people that have freezer room to put in half a dozen 14x12 frames or more. Is this reality or a mythical beekeeper we always refer to I wonder?

No word of tantrums from the tender gender either . . . it must bee an urban myth!

Erm, yes we have a currently unused large chest freezer in the barn....if the mice haven't chewed through the cable. Would take one or two more than half a dozen 14x12 frames

 

[domino]

I never cease to be amazed by the number of people that have freezer room to put in half a dozen 14x12 frames or more. Is this reality or a mythical beekeeper we always refer to I wonder?

No word of tantrums from the tender gender either . . . it must bee an urban myth!

I'm going to buy a shed just for beekeeping this year and slap it up the end of the garden. If I can I may put a small freezer in there just for this reason. I'd get shot if I used the domestic one.

 

[adrian wilford]

last year my apidea's suffered badly from wax moth even when they were full of bees. yet my hives were untouched even in the same apiary.

 

[Black Comb]

My apideas stored in £10 freezer in shed.
Only problem is wife regards it as overflow when all those deals come along at supermarkets.

 

[Erichalfbee]

My bee shed is an annexe of hubby's workshop.
He doesn't realise yet but pretty soon his workshop will be an annexe of my bee shed
He's making me a couple of nucs with removable floors and a bait hive and when asked where on earth they would go I simply said that I'd find room

A question for polyhive owners.

Have you found that your poly hives are much susceptible to mouse damage particularly during periods of storage than standard woodware?

My MB polys have been OK but I lost a P a y n e s nuc box, chewed underneath.

 

[waverider]

I have some damage this year on my P*ynes poly hive. At the front above the entrance block something has gnawed at it to get past the metal mouse-guard and duct tape.