Hopefully we are now in a position where our bees are very close to being ready for Winter and all is well inside the hive. Now is the time to turn our attention to external pests. The two that can cause major problems here in the North Cotswolds are mice and green woodpeckers.
Mice are fairly easy to deal with and in the next few days I will be putting mouse guards across the entrances to all of my hives and that should keep Mickey at bay.
Hive With Mouseguard
Green woodpeckers can cause even more damage. Here is one of my hives that was attacked a couple of years ago. The holes that you can see go right through the cedar super and were created in less than 24 hours.
Green Woodpecker Damage
The best solution appears to be surrounding the hives with chicken wire. Just remember not to put it too close or this provides woody with an ideal perch from which to commence drilling operations.
Good luck and hopefully have a pest free winter.