mouse in my hive

[MJC417]

Bad beginner mistake! I didn't screen the entrance of my hive and I found quite a few dead bees around my hive and found mouse droppings on the tray and knew they must have been defending! I placed a few mouse traps around the entrance and luckly the mouse had more of a taste for peanut butter than honey. My question is, now that the mouse is gone and I screened the entrance can I wait to clean out the mouse nest until the spring if my bees make it through the winter? Thanks! Mike

[Chef Isaac]

if possible, you need to see if your bees are still a live. In my experiance, if a mouse is/was in there, the bees have not been a live. I they are not, remove the hive, take it back and clean in up. You can wash everything really really really well, air dry it, and repeat a couple of times. If it is still smelly, throw it out. I usually have to throw out the bottom boards. I then torch everything.

If the bees are still alive, I would try to at least change out bottom boards if possible.

I would also add... if you are moving the dead hive out, make sure alllllll the mice are gone. Once, I had 8 mice live in a hive. Thought I had them all and when I was about ready to load the hive in my VW bug, a few more mice came out.

nasty!!!!!!

[MJC417]

Chef, The hive is still very alive and buzzing. Its just to cold to be digging around the hive. I was concerned if leaving the nest till spring would greatly reduce the chances of survival?

[Chef Isaac]

I am just wondering if the scent will cause more mice to come in. That is why I would change the bottom board if possible.

[Ravenseye]

I would get in there on the first warm day. Mice don't belong in a hive.

[riverrat]

I screened the entrance can I wait to clean out the mouse nest until the spring if my bees make it through the winter? Thanks! Mike

If you are sure you got all the mice out of the hive then yes you can leave it until spring to clean out. But usually if there is one there may be more.

[Michael Palmer]

My question is, now that the mouse is gone and I screened the entrance can I wait to clean out the mouse nest until the spring if my bees make it through the winter? Thanks! Mike

Is there actually a nest in the hive? Do you see bits of grass, bits of comb on the bottom board? Mice usually build a nest by chewing a hole in several combs near the bottom board, and filling it with nesting materials. Sometimes the mice are just in the hive...no nest. If you got rid of the mice, the nest won't be a problem. You can remove it when you check the hive next spring.

[soupcan]

Bought an old timer out a number of years ago & found some mouse bait pellets on a few bottom boards.
I asked the old gentleman as to if he had a mouse problem & why he did not use entrance screens.
He told me that he had for years put 5 or 6 bait pellets in every hive on the bottom boards & never had a mouse problem!

[JordanM]

I was wondering about this the other day to, does D-con do anything harmful to bees?

[soupcan]

All it is is a blood thinner for mamals.
Never have seen bees mess with it.
The guy that taught us this was taught by his dad.
Nothing I hate worse is the smell of mouse urine!!!!!!!!!
We use bait boxes in most yards now.

[MJC417]

Mike,
I didnt notice nesting material on the bottom board. Im thinking this mouse was just going in and out at night which may explain why I trapped him so quickly!

[dcross]

Drum the hive to make sure no more are in there, then use hardware cloth to make sure no new ones get in.

[naturebee]

My question is, now that the mouse is gone and I screened the entrance can I wait to clean out the mouse nest until the spring if my bees make it through the winter? Thanks! Mike

The problem might be mice and not mouse. :)
Even if mice are in the hive, a mouse guard can be placed on an any time. Mice will succumb in a few days from lack of being able to exit the hive for a drink. The nest can be cleaned out in the spring or next nice day.

Joe
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles/

[Brent Bean]

Don’t try and chase the little bugger out they will wait you out. This time of year I won’t disturb the hive. But mice are suckers for peanut butter on the trip latch of a mouse trap. Once you catch them put on a mouse excluder.