Mouse in the bee house?

rayb · February 21, 2007, 05:04:16 PM

The bees were flying well today (47degrees) and when I checked the debris tray I saw small, smaller than 1/4 inch, tappered droppings. Do we have a mouse ,or two???? Our front entrance is 3/8 by 2 inches with a small upper entrance. Can the intruder stay till it is warmer and I can work the hive? Or is there any reason it should go sooner??

Thanks, Ray

BEE C · February 21, 2007, 06:18:36 PM

I'm quite curious about this too. I just found mouse poop on the slide out bottom board over the last two days. I don't want to open the hive yet, it is 7 degrees out today and the bees are really active, but it snowed briefly last night here. I have no idea how the mouse got in. The opening is so small i was worried that the bees would have trouble squeezing in. Worried about the pollen being eaten...other than this the bees seem to be quite healthy and bringing in lots o pollen.

Understudy · February 21, 2007, 08:37:24 PM

Are you sure that it doesn't come from lizards?

Sincerely,
Brendhan

rayb · February 21, 2007, 09:10:42 PM

I haven't actually seen the intruder, but am just guessing it to be a mouse. Don't know if I have ever seen a lizard up here. Either way, I don't like intrusion!!!!

Thanks, Ray

buzzbee · February 21, 2007, 10:24:34 PM

Don't you guys put on mouse guards early in the fall?
They can chew there way through a entrance reducer.
If the mouse is in there and the bees are active,it may be dead and propilized in there.

Understudy · February 21, 2007, 11:15:21 PM

I don't use mouse guards. I have top entrance hives.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

BEE C · February 21, 2007, 11:31:59 PM

I don't use mouse gards, but i customized the bottom entrance to be just big enough for a bee to squeeze through. I'm thinking that the mouse my by living under the screened section. I just opened the section below the screen to allow more air flow a few days ago.

AndersMNelson · February 21, 2007, 11:32:55 PM

Is a hive with a top entrance different in a way other than the obvious?

Understudy · February 22, 2007, 12:04:51 AM

Please read:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopentrance.htm

And you can see plans for the design I use.
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/files/honeybees/top_entrance_bee.pdf
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/files/honeybees/top_entrance_parts.pdf
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/files/honeybees/top_entrance_instructions.pdf

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Cindi · February 22, 2007, 12:37:38 AM

Quote from: BEE C on February 21, 2007, 11:31:59 PM
I don't use mouse gards, but i customized the bottom entrance to be just big enough for a bee to squeeze through. I'm thinking that the mouse my by living under the screened section. I just opened the section below the screen to allow more air flow a few days ago.

Steve, are you using a entrance reducer that you insert in the entrance? I have the wooden entrance reducers inserted until when it is really warm. My entrance reducers have two sizes, the bee space size and the larger space. The only time that I use the bee space size is if I believe that robbing is occurring. Other than that I leave the larger opening to provide lots of air flow.

I didn't understand what you were saying about "opened the section below the screen to allow more air flow". More air flow is a great benefit, especially in our dampness. Can you clarify what you meant? Best of days. Cindi

So you had snow last night, bummer!!!! today was nice eh? Good to see the blue sky. I have been hearing the robins like crazy. They have the prettiest song, I love the new sounds of spring. C.

BEE C · February 22, 2007, 03:03:38 AM

Hey cindi,
Heres some photos of the bottom boards I built, from the inside view you can see the entrances. The slide out boards are under the screen which forms the bottom of the hive. The boards slide out the rear of the hive. Along the edge of where the screen is stapled on, I have some wooden strips. Its in these strips that the two entrances are cut. The strips where the entrances are can be pulled off when It gets warmer. I wanted the whole floor of the hive to be screen, but I wasn't so sure about a completely open bottom. Thought it would be too cold. Anyway here are some photos of what I did. The SBB I am making now are a little different however. The hives seem to have stayed dry I think ? I didn't notice any condensation inside really to speak of. The slide out trays are pretty makeshift, so I wanted to make a drawer with the new ones. So mice living downstairs shouldn't be a problem next year. I was concerned that the large empty space under the one hive would be bad but it seems to have been ok. Kind of like an open bottom with walls. I hope these come through ok. I would like feedback on what people think.

Cindi · February 22, 2007, 10:28:01 AM

Steve, some very nice carpentry work. And I really like the Budha (spelling) on top. One of our beekeepers in our course would hang a pendant on the front of his colonies. He swore this brought him good luck.

I am going to be using the "varroa-nator" screened bottom boards that I bought last year. I purchased 4 of them and they are lightweight and I have to use them up first. Then I will be asking my husband to build me some more bottomboards.

Somewhere I got an impression with the screened bottom board that there was nothing underneath the screen. Allowing debris and mites to fall through onto the ground. I also kind of remember someone saying that the open bottom is good in summertime to prevent overheating in the hive. The cool air is drawn upwards I presume.

Best of days. Cindi

BEE C · March 12, 2007, 06:32:21 AM

Thanks cindi,
Hollow fat guy, thats where I stash my smoker fuel, and figured hey it could keep the hive warmer.
Do you think a totally open bottom would work or be ok in our climate? I know in summer it would work great, thats when ill slide the drawer under my screens out for ventilation. My hives were crazy big just before the blackberries bloomed, and it helped a lot to ventilate then. I got the impression that beeks in the uk were switching to the totally open bottoms even for winter, but it seems like too much to me, and thought I had misinterpreted. Id be curious to know if thats really whats done and how much of an open bottom is ok. A great beemaster class question... :-D
I know weve been posting back and forth on the entrance size thing in other posts, and I agree I should not reduce them so small next year. I think it may have held too much moisture in the hive.
So far the mouse did not come back. Due to the peppermint oil on the bottom board? I don't know but I will definitely be using the oil again on bottom boards, made the whole hive smell nice and the bees didn't seem to mind.

Brian D. Bray · March 14, 2007, 11:02:02 PM

Bee C,

The SBB you posted look very similar to the ones I make with the exception that I omit the tray. I think you'll find that the extra depth you built into the bottom board more than makes up for any loss of air. If you were to place a slatted rack above the SBB, like I do, then you'll find that a thermal layer of air is built up at the bottom of the hive and no tray is needed at all. Since I'm about as far south of the border as you are north, and share the same weather patterns, I think you'll find the slide-out tray a hinderence during the summer and unnecessary during the winter.

BEE C · March 15, 2007, 05:44:52 AM

Hey brian,
I remember you saying something about that in an earlier post. I couldn't quite picture it in my head. Do you mean slats above the screen mesh? How much space do you leave for that between the bottom of the combs in the first box and the screen? dowels or slats better? I remember your posts on slats earlier in the season, and I like the idea of a space for bees to do there thing. If you would be so kind as to direct me how or to a site that has plans, I like to build one. As i understand it the slats allow space for bees to congregate allowing for good ventilation and the thermal layer youve mentioned. Good to know that it works as a thermal layer enough in our climate to leave the bottom board out. I assume you mean yours has no bottom? and is open below the screen? Thanks. Steve.

Cindi · March 15, 2007, 09:59:30 AM

Steve, good questions for Brian. I wanna read about them too. I think the I remember Brian saying that he uses dowels, maybe 1/2" or something. I can't wrap my head around how they work either. Have the great day. Cindi

Brian D. Bray · March 17, 2007, 07:24:46 PM

I use dowels 1 inch in diameter spaced so that the run directly under each frame. That way the bees can use the dowel sufface as a work platform and without the need to festoon which reduces the bees ability to work. 3/4 or 7/8 dowels will work also. If in doubt use round wood stock as close to the width of the top bar on the frame as possible.
I set up my hives from bottom up like this: SBB (no tray or bottom), slatted (doweled) rack, up to 4 Brood boxes, another slatted rack, supers for harvesting, top with entrance.
Note: All my brood boxes are medium depth so 4 boxes is usually all the queen needs, if she wants more I let her have it until its time to harvest. Moving frames with brood from supers into the dedicated brood chamber is not a problem since I use mediums for every thing. Uniformity rules.

AllanJ · March 17, 2007, 08:24:56 PM

I ordered my slatted racks from Betterbee.. but I want to make them myself. It never occured to me to use dowels. That would make construction a lot easier.

Steve, where did you get that metal mesh? I have been looking for #8 cloth, but really want the metal..

Thanks.

Cindi · March 18, 2007, 12:54:14 AM

Brian, thank you very much for the information on slatted bottomboards. I still don't quite get it. Are the dowels attached to a frame at each end? Can you define a little more clearly? Awesome and great day. Cindi

BEE C · March 18, 2007, 05:24:44 AM

Brian thanks for the information. That explains it enough for me to go forward. Im probably going to pick up thirty boxes for cheap tomorrow and will try making some. Allan, I bought the #8 at a local hardware store, who happens to be mangaged by a beekeeper, so I don't know if its normal to have it on hand at hardware stores or not? I usually go in there to blab about bees when picking up supplies, so I just found it there on one of my trips. I could ask where he gets it in from if you don't have it at your local hardware.