What has eaten the brood nest

[Graymich]

I have five hives - all came through the winter ok it seamed - However on further inspection, the one hive that was on double brood was not doing as well as the other single brood hives. They are covering 7 of the 14x12 frames with brood larvae and stores in the upper chamber but the brood nest below has been eaten away and was just an empty space. No sign of any other animals present apart from 3 large slugs. No mouse droppings etc. I had mouse guards on and oxalic vaped 5 times at 4 day intervals at the end of the season and again early January. I left them with stores in both boxes plus a 2.5kg slab of fondant over winter, They finished the fondant in March.
Any advise on what has been happening here.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

did you vape a hole in them by mistake?

looks bigger than mouse damage i have seen...

 

[Graymich]

It cant be vape damage - I use sublimox through the entrance same as the other 4 hives.

 

[Sutty]

I think mice (or a rat if big enough access (can be surprisingly small) is the most likely culprit.
One of my cats brought in a decent sized rat recently, very much alive. When he let go of it it shot through a gap under a door that was just under 1".

 

[Wilco]

I'd also lean towards rodents as the cause.

 

[JamezF]

I'd also lean towards rodents as the cause.

As would I.

James

 

[ericbeaumont]

was on double brood was not doing as well as the other single brood hives ... covering 7 of the 14x12 frames with brood larvae

Next time, overwinter on one 14x12: two is way too much and the bottom box will always turn out mouldy or slugged.

Thermoregulation is key, and achieved best by cramming into one than spreading across two.

 

[Antipodes]

I have five hives - all came through the winter ok it seamed - However on further inspection, the one hive that was on double brood was not doing as well as the other single brood hives. They are covering 7 of the 14x12 frames with brood larvae and stores in the upper chamber but the brood nest below has been eaten away and was just an empty space. No sign of any other animals present apart from 3 large slugs. No mouse droppings etc. I had mouse guards on and oxalic vaped 5 times at 4 day intervals at the end of the season and again early January. I left them with stores in both boxes plus a 2.5kg slab of fondant over winter, They finished the fondant in March.
Any advise on what has been happening here.View attachment 39492View attachment 39493View attachment 39494View attachment 39495

Perhaps just me, but I can't zoom in on the images to see them properly. Can others?

 

[Sutty]

Perhaps just me, but I can't zoom in on the images to see them properly. Can others?

Nor me, I think they have been uploaded as thumbnails rather than full images

 

[Graymich]

Nor me, I think they have been uploaded as thumbnails rather than full imaView attachment 39508ges

 

[Graymich]

View attachment 39509

 

[Graymich]

 

[Graymich]

 

[Graymich]

Next time, overwinter on one 14x12: two is way too much and the bottom box will always turn out mouldy or slugged.

Thermoregulation is key, and achieved best by cramming into one than spreading across two.

Yes I am inclined to agree with you - I combined two hives earlier in the year and should have reduced them back down before winter but they were pretty full - lesson learnt.

 

[Roger.Wilco]

View attachment 39511View attachment 39511

I have a frame looking similar to this just a smaller hole. I first noticed brown/black detritus on the drop board below the OMF back early Feb and wondered what it was. A full inspection recently has identified that frame immediately above the detritus has been fungus/wax moth infested and the bees have been dismantling the wax (& maybe using it elsewhere). The frames either side are untouched. In my case the bees have removed quite a lot of the cell wax across the frame leaving just the foundation with the bottom of the frame with large sections missing.

 

[Graymich]

I have a frame looking similar to this just a smaller hole. I first noticed brown/black detritus on the drop board below the OMF back early Feb and wondered what it was. A full inspection recently has identified that frame immediately above the detritus has been fungus/wax moth infested and the bees have been dismantling the wax (& maybe using it elsewhere). The frames either side are untouched. In my case the bees have removed quite a lot of the cell wax across the frame leaving just the foundation with the bottom of the frame with large sections missing.

Very interesting.
In my case 7 out of the 10 frames have more than 50% of the comb removed. I think its probably rodents in my brood nest even though I did fit a mouse guard over the winter.