Badger Claw vs MB Poly Hive

It could have been worse.....and it/they may be back for another go (although I'm hoping that this very strong colony showed them the error of their ways!)

The hardened plastic entrance reducer was left chewed on the ground.

Strong evidense for supporting a cull !

You need a big wooden fence!

I am making chicken wire cloches for mine (Swienty poly).

I may wire them up to an electric fence controller if this is not enough of a deterrent, but only if I really have to.

your hive is rather close to the ground. Maybe if you put it ona 18" stand it would help keeping unwanted guests out

Winker said:

your hive is rather close to the ground. Maybe if you put it ona 18" stand it would help keeping unwanted guests out

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All of my hives are on 16" hives.....it's just that the grass is particularly long!

I had several poly nucs shredded by badgers back in the spring,plus one wooden five frame nuc completely destroyed, with the frames dragged back under some brambles,then a few full size wooden hives attacked,roofs removed and loads of dead bees outside,they seem to take little notice of the bees attacking them,oblivious to them. They dig out and eat wasp nests,so bees are no problem for them.

Hivemaker. said:

I had several poly nucs shredded by badgers back in the spring,plus one wooden five frame nuc completely destroyed, with the frames dragged back under some brambles,then a few full size wooden hives attacked,roofs removed and loads of dead bees outside,they seem to take little notice of the bees attacking them,oblivious to them. They dig out and eat wasp nests,so bees are no problem for them.

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Yes Pete, I've seen a few wasps nests dug out this year myself.....one about 50 yards from one of my apiaries (something to perhaps thank them for I think).

seems to have survived quite well

White Park Cattle said:

All of my hives are on 16" hives.....it's just that the grass is particularly long!

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Defeats the object of OMF and creates a poor environment inside the hive.

Put electric wire around hives, did it with mine at an out-apiary and now (touch wood) have no problems.
S

Poor badgers are in a no win situation what with the tb issue being raised again

I may wire them up to an electric fence controller

I wonder how the bees would feel, inside a regularly pulsing electrostatic field, of up to about 15 000volts (more likely only half that value)?

So perhaps not a good idea, I would have thought. Subject for testing, prior to permanent installation I think.

RAB

The electrostatic field may interfere with the Ley Lines

WPC.
I have a couple of MB brood boxes (bees are in just one of them at the moment; if you go double brood, they only have a <4mm bee space between top and bottom brood chamber frames. (Well mine have) Have you noticed this? (The super bee space is 12 mm!). On the assumption that they get stuck together, how are the boxes seperated as there is nowhere for a hive tool to go in and lever them apart? Have you tried it yet?

We have badgers, no fence seems to stop them. We have lifted the hives onto large heavy stands, so far so good.

we have had wasps eat into MB nuc boxes this year, will post pics later

saw severe blue tit damage to Swienty nucs this year as well......more worried by badgers at least we don't have bears.....

oliver90owner said:

I may wire them up to an electric fence controller

I wonder how the bees would feel, inside a regularly pulsing electrostatic field, of up to about 15 000volts (more likely only half that value)?

So perhaps not a good idea, I would have thought. Subject for testing, prior to permanent installation I think.

RAB

Click to expand...

Electric fences are regularly used to prevent bears damaging hives in the US. When properly maintained they are about 80% effective (see Lord, W. G. (1979) Black bear depredation of honey bees. American Bee Journal. 119(12): 818-821.).

A not-entirely-convincing description of the impact of high voltage power lines on Ley lines can be found here. My O level physics is insufficient scientific training to understand this properly - I understand the words, but not in the order they have used them.

--
fatshark

Nic Rhodes said:

saw severe blue tit damage to Swienty nucs this year as well....

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Also had the same with the poly mating nucs.