Mouse Excluder
This time of year your bees will start to cluster tightly together to keep warm. This gives mice the opportunity to crawl inside your hive, undefended, and eat one bee at a time. So to keep your bees safe place a metal Mouse Excluder over the entrance of each hive. Remember to clear away any blockage throughout the winter otherwise your bees will suffer from lack of fresh air and dampness.
Woodpecker
You may not be aware that woodpeckers are in your area until it’s too late. A woodpecker will peck a hole though the wall of your beehive, typically it will be the narrow cut out for the hand grips as the wall is at its thinest point there. Clever woodpeckers! Next the woodpecker will tap on the hive and as a bee comes out of the hole to see what all the fuss is about, the woodpecker will devourer your bee in a snap. So to protect your bees simply wrap chicken wire around each hive to keep the woodpeckers off.
Stop Water Entering Your Hive
Tilt your hive so that the front entrance is slightly lower. This way any water that does get into your hive will drain away out of the entrance.
Roof Tight & Secure
Make sure to keep an eye on each hive to make sure the roofs are secure. Any roof that has shifted could allow a gap for wasps or water to enter which is hazardous to bees.
Hope that helps. Any questions please feel free to ask and we will do our best to reply.
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