Honey Bee Parasites, Pests, Predators and Diseases

Hardware cloth fitted to hive entrance

Early in the fall, the entrance to bee colonies should be restricted with entrance cleats or hardware cloth (three mesh to the inch) to keep the mice out. Chase away any mice found inside a colony, then remove the nest and restrict the entrance. If comb chewing is extensive, replace the frames. When bees repair damaged beeswax comb, worker-sized cells are often replaced with drone comb.