Woodpeckers - when are they an issue?

[msillence]

Hi,

I know there are lots of woodpeckers in the woods near me so I guess I need to protect the hive.
I gather sometime around autumn - any better clues - beginning/end?

A friends suggested wire mesh attached to the roof, though I was planning on a simple frame I could sit on the roof such that I have a normal roof still in the spring.

I'm based in the north east if that makes a difference - Newcastle upon Tyne.

Thanks,
M

 

[beeatshellards]

I only had woodpecker damage last winter in the very cold weather when there was deep snow, holes everywhere in the boxes, they seemed to leave the hives alone in the good weather, but this year I will put mesh frames on at the end of the autumn, just to be sure of protection

 

[Heather]

I think it is only the green- and I protect all the year round.
Have had hives battered in winter but they also want the larvae. They go for the indentations (hand grips) where the wood is thinner. Cages work fine. Just chicken wire fixed to a wooden support that can lift over and slide down the hive .

Woodpeckers are woodpeckers wherever they are in the country!

 

[Winker]

Thats one advantage of making my hives from Ply wood, Its much harder for the woody to peck through it. They go through cedar in no time

 

[Hivemaker.]

Thats one advantage of making my hives from Ply wood, Its much harder for the woody to peck through it. They go through cedar in no time

Very true,and they go through poly even faster. You can also have plenty of green woodpeckers in the area,even within the apairy, and have no damage to your hives at all.

 

[viridens]

When are they an issue? Only in extreme winter weather here as well. Hungry green woodpeckers are the culprits here too.
None of the holes have ever quite got through to the bees, but I assume they would be eaten if possible. - And the peckers definitely do prefer natural wood to ply

 

[The Apprentices]

Hi,

I know there are lots of woodpeckers in the woods near me so I guess I need to protect the hive.
I gather sometime around autumn - any better clues - beginning/end?

A friends suggested wire mesh attached to the roof, though I was planning on a simple frame I could sit on the roof such that I have a normal roof still in the spring.

I'm based in the north east if that makes a difference - Newcastle upon Tyne.

Thanks,
M

NASA had trouble with woodpeckers breaking off the foam protection from the main booster tanks, they resolved it by painting a dirty great big woodpecker on the tank, might work for hives.
Check out woodpecker alarm on youtube and see if it would be an issue for ya.

 

[chickendave]

Wood peckers when are they a issue

The answer to that is any time they want to regardles to the hives being made from cedar or plywood or what time of year it is, if they decide that the hives in your apiary are the next best thing to a fast food take away they will be there to bore holes into the hives at the first chance they get, if you leave of what ever protection being used as I have found out the hard way this year