Damaged Hive

[Countryboy]

A friend of mine emailed me this picture and asked what chewed up her hive this winter. (She was the first woman bee inspector in Ohio.)

Her and her son have a business bringing fresh lobster from Maine and reselling them here. They have several salt water tanks set up. I told her to show people this pic and tell them they had a big lobster get loose and see how many people would believe her. She thought it was hilarious.

I think it is woodpecker damage. The frames in the top box show wax moth damage, but I don't know how old the equipment is, or how recently wax moths were in it. And there are a couple holes that look like woodpecker holes in the boxes.

Anyone else have any ideas? Is it woodpeckers or something else?

Shirley Hive.jpg

[Allen Dick]

Yes. Woodpeckers are the likely answer. One year I had one woodpecker that pecked out the handholds in all the hives in one yard.