Woodpeckers

[Ceph]

I made a chicken wire cage strengthened on all sides out of bamboo cane and cable tied the wire and bamboo.

Cage sits over two hives and will do so for winter, then I'll use it to protect some crops from pidgeons etc on the allotment.

Works a treat and when the bees were flying many came in and rested on it before entering the hive.

Most importantly the holes (slightly bigger gauge of two chicken wire sizes available in homebase, focus etc) are able to allow flying bees straight through if they dont wish to rest.

I could of saved money and used less chicken wire by attaching it to the hives but I wanted an independant cage I could remove.

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

I also have wrapped my hives in heavy plastic, I was told by my course instructor that it made the surface smooth so that the wood peckers couldn't get a grip on the hive. However, the winds have picked up today and even though I put blocks on the hive roofs, I was also told that it's a good idea to put a strap around each hive, which I have now done, but I see a flaw in the plan.
With the straps on over the plastic sheeting, any wood pecker would now have a place to get a grip hold on the side of the hive again!!!
To put the straps on under the plastic sheeting would make a lot more work when it comes time to treat the hives with Oxalic Acid, because one hive is on a brood and a half, the other one is a double BB + a super...

 

[Chris B]

I the good old days the local Village ***** was sent to scare birds away from vulnerable seedlings or crops. If anyone knows any VI's please send them my way - 1 per apiary please.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I the good old days the local Village ***** was sent to scare birds away from vulnerable seedlings or crops. If anyone knows any VI's please send them my way - 1 per apiary please.

Wurzel gummidge had a lot of scarecrow friends as well...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNBNqUdqm1E[/ame]

 

[madasafish]

Wilkinsons do wire mesh - small quantities but cheap...

 

[Queens59]

If anyone knows any VI's please send them my way - 1 per apiary please.
Oh, go on then...time I worked for a living!!

 

[nonstandard]

... If anyone knows any VI's please send them my way.

We have one, the antisocial so and so insists on shovelling the snow off his drive and piling it up on the public footpath so everyone has to walk on the road.

You can have him with pleasure Grrrrrrr

 

[psafloyd]

We have one, the antisocial so and so insists on shovelling the snow off his drive and piling it up on the public footpath so everyone has to walk on the road.

You can have him with pleasure Grrrrrrr

He would be liable if anyone fell outside his house, then. You should pretend to have fallen and hurt yourself, inform him you have fallen where he has cleared his path and suggest you will sue if a visit to the doctor proves you have any damage. he won't do it again.

 

[Dishmop]

We have one, the antisocial so and so insists on shovelling the snow off his drive and piling it up on the public footpath so everyone has to walk on the road.

I'd say thats illegal. Obstructing a public footpath.

I heard of a police motorcyclist who told a bloke to put the snow back onto his drive that he had shovelled onto the road.


The law now states that if you clear the snow from say the path near your house, that you have to clear it to a condition that the path would be in if it had not snowed. If you dont clear it fully and somebody buggers over, it's your fault,,, Thats why some councils dont clear paths in shopping centres.

 

[mannky]

Idea to deter wood pecker

There are several wood peckers around here. They have not attacked yet but I understand once they learn they always go back. I am trying out bird net draped over the hives which I found in my shed. I am assuming that this is not a surface they will think to land on. I have weighted it down with slate and moved some to entrance as the snow is now lying.

 

[crazy_bull]

I guess it's a wood filler job in the spring CB? What's the answer for next year, Fort Knox defences or not a future wintering apiary?

Yes no doubt a few will need a bit of patching in the spring, but the complete holes have been plugged with foam for now. I have wire caged them all now, and the site won't be moved as it is one of only a few i have that have lockable gates and i would class as secure so i'm afraid the woodpeckers will need to invest in wire cutters from now on.

The other solution at hand is a rapid injection of lead.....























PS. before anyone gets the wrong idea, I am joking about shooting woodpeckers............ trapping them is much better as you don't have lead pellets in them when it comes to eating them

 

[Hivemaker.]

No problems with wood peckers,just with some other kind of birds...they have decided in one apairy, where i had six kielers, to start and demolish them by pecking small holes and some larger chunks out of all six of them,all the way round the sides,and roofs,bit like a poly snow storm around the base of the stands....went and checked eight in another location, and these have not been attacked by the birds.

 

[Queens59]

Confused Bluetits HM - They think they are large milk crates!!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Confused Bluetits HM - They think they are large milk crates!!

Expect the look like small white tits by now.

 

[keith pierce]

any pictures of woodpecker damage

 

[thurrock bees]

CB wont foam soak up water?? i use blue tac as its water proof

 

[crazy_bull]

CB wont foam soak up water?? i use blue tac as its water proof

The holes are just one bee width so the foam is fairly rammed into the wood, i have used putty before but find it dries or contracts then falls out.

C B

 

[thurrock bees]

The holes are just one bee width so the foam is fairly rammed into the wood, i have used putty before but find it dries or contracts then falls out.

C B

blue tac doesnt dry out, well its never done it to me. i always use it to plug any holes tho the year

 

[taff..]

any pictures of woodpecker damage

found today


thankfully it's early days, they will have something over them tomorrow