Last spring after completing a cut out, I had an unused hive. I place the hive in a area near a creek with some old comb frames and foundation just to see if a hive would move in. No success.
This year I plan to try a swarm lure. I left the hive unattended over the winter. A mouse moved in and some of the foundation appears to have a growth on it. The grow is finger/web like and has small black spots/mites about the size of a flee.
Any idea on what the grow is?
What affect will mouse scent have on the bait hive/lure?
Should I clean the hive (how?) and start with fresh foundation for the spring?
I'd clean the hive out, get rid of the growing combs and put some (new) old comb in it. Put some 1/4" hardware cloth on the entrance as a mouse guard. Don't waste your time or foundation in this hive, use old comb and foundationless. Once you get a swarm, then you can swap out the empty frames with foundation if you want.