What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Goran]

Haven't been at the apiaries for quite long time. Bees were tucked in deep snow, these days some southern warm wind is melting snow. We made some fondants as usual, in the process we burned some heavy food, schnapps and white wine.. Seems I will go for weekend to see how are they and if weather behave give some fondants..

 

[Moobee]

Discovered I have Pygmy Shrews snacking on the bees. The piles of eviscerated & headless dead bees behind the hives have been a mystery until I was reading Healthy Bees are Happy Bees and found a note in the section under ‘minor pests’. They’re absolutely tiny - so small that they easily squeeze through a standard mouseguard (with 10mm holes) and help themselves to the torpid bees on the outside of the cluster, eating up to 125% of their body weight daily which is about 50 bees! They’re active day & night and don’t hibernate.
6mm mesh and some different metal mouseguards are arriving today so hope that stops the little buggers.

 

[The Poot]

Discovered I have Pygmy Shrews snacking on the bees. The piles of eviscerated & headless dead bees behind the hives have been a mystery until I was reading Healthy Bees are Happy Bees and found a note in the section under ‘minor pests’. They’re absolutely tiny - so small that they easily squeeze through a standard mouseguard (with 10mm holes) and help themselves to the torpid bees on the outside of the cluster, eating up to 125% of their body weight daily which is about 50 bees! They’re active day & night and don’t hibernate.
6mm mesh and some different metal mouseguards are arriving today so hope that stops the little buggers. View attachment 41892View attachment 41893

If they’re feeding inside the hive, why the piles of dead outside? I have some sort of rodent snacking on the dead outside the hives, leaving the corpses on the inspection trays. I think they live under the pallets the hives are on and have a sheltered spot with food served daily this time of year.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

@Moobee Sounds like a plausible culprit for a pile of bodies under one end of the stand, directly under a hive. Didn't know what it was. Including headless bees. Cleared and we'll see if it reappears.
I have underfloor entrances with an 8mm slot upwards and a sealed undertray. I agree with @The Poot , why would they retreat back under the hive to eat each individual bee. Might be from foraging for dead bees in the grass in front of the hive. Will report back.
. . . . Ben
#thinks I've seen a local cat sitting waiting for some rodent in front of my hives. ?

 

[Moobee]

If they’re feeding inside the hive, why the piles of dead outside? I have some sort of rodent snacking on the dead outside the hives, leaving the corpses on the inspection trays. I think they live under the pallets the hives are on and have a sheltered spot with food served daily this time of year.

I have checked various wildlife sources plus it’s also mentioned in the above book that’s its typical Pygmy Shrew behaviour - they don’t stay in the hive to eat but take the bees outside and form piles of corpses. I’ve seen other references to problems in Canada with the same beastie.

 

[Moobee]

@Moobee Sounds like a plausible culprit for a pile of bodies under one end of the stand, directly under a hive. Didn't know what it was. Including headless bees. Cleared and we'll see if it reappears.
I have underfloor entrances with an 8mm slot upwards and a sealed undertray. I agree with @The Poot , why would they retreat back under the hive to eat each individual bee. Might be from foraging for dead bees in the grass in front of the hive. Will report back.
. . . . Ben
#thinks I've seen a local cat sitting waiting for some rodent in front of my hives. ?

Apparently they can squeeze through such small spaces, it needs to be 6mm. Fitting mine tomorrow.