Bee cultures beeyard: living with mice and moving colonies

摘要

In relationship to beekeeping, I must have used the "mouse" word thousands of times. In the Fall, we put entrance reducers on our hives to keep mice out. When they get in anyway, people such as I photograph the damage and repair (or destroy) mouse-modified frames. They are a pain for the hive and though I am tender-hearted, I have few qualms about harassing mice at anytime of the year. However, there is an aspect of mouse intrusion that I have never directly discussed - mice in the honey house. IfI were a mouse, I feel that I would love the honey house. There are sweets and protein everywhere. Honey for the carbohydrates, dead bees and pollen for protein and wooden and cloth materials in abundance. Mouse heaven. It is a disgusting subject - in the same category as discussing a case of athlete's foot fungus at a social function. Mice are a way of life everywhere, but many times we just don't want to mention it. I don't. My lab and storage barn are reasonably clean, but we do frequently find evidence of mouse invasions. I was particularly annoyed a few days ago to stumble into the remains of a small mouse colony that had set up housekeeping in a box of new bee veils and bee suits. What a mess. A few mice had chewed holes in new suits and fouled other suits with their excrement. I put most of the equipment out with the trash.