Mice
are a serious pest of stored combs and active
honey bee colonies during the fall and winter
months. These rodents chew combs and frames to
make room for building their nests. Mouse urine
on combs and frames and bees are reluctant to
use the combs or clean out these nests in the
spring.
Adult mice move into bee colonies in the fall
and usually nest in the corners of the lower
hive body away from the winter cluster. Bee
colonies located near fields or at the edge of
wood lots where mice are common are especially
vulnerable. Mice can successfully build a nest
even in a strong colony. They move in and out of
the colony while the bees are inactive, and
their nests furnish additional protection. Their
activity may disturb the bees but the greater
damage is to combs and equipment from their nest
building.
Early in the fall, the entrance to bee
colonies should be restricted with entrance
cleats or hardware cloth (three mesh to the
inch) to keep the mice out. Chase away any mice
found inside a colony, then remove the nest and
restrict the entrance. If comb chewing is
extensive, replace the frames. When bees repair
damaged beeswax comb, worker-sized cells are
often replaced with drone comb.
Mice
are a serious pest of stored combs and active
honey bee colonies during the fall and winter
months. These rodents chew combs and frames to
make room for building their nests. Mouse urine
on combs and frames and bees are reluctant to
use the combs or clean out these nests in the
spring.