Afixing a mouse guard

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apkfjk

New Bee
Joined
Jun 9, 2011
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Location
Brighton
Hive Type
National
Hi Everyone. Just been to the Bee shop and bought a mouse guard, got home and installed it over the entrance, I watched the bees for some 15mins and the majority of the returning workers seemed stumped by this and did not want to enter the hive.

Just wondering what time of day is best to install the guard, morning/noon or night?

Wasps attacks reducing to ones and twos so happy about that, don't want to cause the bees any further distress with the guard in the middle of the day
 
Hi Everyone. Just been to the Bee shop and bought a mouse guard, got home and installed it over the entrance, I watched the bees for some 15mins and the majority of the returning workers seemed stumped by this and did not want to enter the hive.

Just wondering what time of day is best to install the guard, morning/noon or night?

Wasps attacks reducing to ones and twos so happy about that, don't want to cause the bees any further distress with the guard in the middle of the day
I don't think it really matters what time of day you put your mouse guards on, the reason they took so long going in was the change in the appearance of the entrance etc, some of mine struggled a bit at first when they were loaded up with pollen and it does knock it off sometimes but not enough to worry about it. At least you've put them on, well done.
 
I did mine early afternoon and most seemed to figure it out pretty quickly, within a minute or so, although the odd one was wandering around for a while longer. Presume you have taken out the entrance reducer if you had one in?
I wouldn't worry too much - as long as the mouse guard holes are clear they will work it out soon enough.

Richard
 
Thanks for the info, think I'll pop back out and take another look.

Rich0909 - when you say "Presume you have taken out the entrance reducer if you had one in?" are you taking about anything that fits into the entrance? I have a piece of timber that I inserted that only allows two bees through at a time, here is a pic of it in place(infact it does not have the open bit on the middle as I replaced that) https://picasaweb.google.com/113722...key=Gv1sRgCLir0vfdw9O_mgE#5606563163749147650

Should I remove that and just allow the whole entrance to be open and covered by the mouse guard?
 
Take entrance block out.
Fit mouse guard
 
apkfjk you take your entrance block out and let Storm leave his in
 
I use the wooden block as a mouse guard by modifying it; Panel pins knocked in every 8mm. Less pollen seems to be lost compared to the punched hole guards.

If using the metal mouse guard then no entrance block should be in.
 
Why?
You can leave the entrance block as it is and even cut the mouse guard in half and do two hives instead of one.
 
My thought process was to leave it in and put the guard over it and that would help keep the warmth in the hive, rather then wind going through and cooling them down too much in the winter months - but I am open to suggestions
 
Majority of sources suggest removing entrance block - if you don't then be careful that the guard holes are lined up with the entrance and not restricted. If it is a strong colony I would think their early spring foraging would be reduced by only having 2 or 3 mouse guard holes available to use but some one with more experience may be able to confirm this?
Generally ventilation from below seems to be seen as a good thing for winter as long as no gaps are left at the top of the hive to cause a through draught.

Richard.
 
i have a technical question re the two-sided MGs sold by Th*rnes (the ones that fit into two runners).

Having previosuly only used this type on dadants where the porch floor stops the guard dropping further than necessary i'm a bit at a loss as to how to fit these to hives with flush floors.

presumably the runners are screwed half to the brood box and half to the floor ? in that way the lug on the ends of the guard catches and holds it at correct height.
 
It might be useful to know whether comments are being made about OMFs or solid floor.

Any comment about keeping the hive warm likely negated with an OMF, as long as the entrance is not open to a howling gale.

In fact that will be the case in the middle of the winter. The floor will be the outside ambient, OMF or solid. Let's not forget that the cluster will be within the wax and not below it, so will not be much more affected by the cold either way. They have been doing that for some years, now - well in excess of a few million, I believe!

The real difference is in maintaining a dry hive.

Back to mouseguard. If there are 'wasp attacks' (and this is a very subjective assessment by some) as in this case, a mouseguard on a full width entrance is folly - the wasps can get in anywhere along the width of the hive.

If only a two bee space is left, then the mouseguard needs lining up carefully. If on a solid floor just two beeways would likely cause a damp situation within the hive in the winter, depending on any other ventilation precautions taken.

Leaving only a two beeway entrance is folly, too. It can easily become obstructed. It would appear that if only the 'majority' are not able to enter, either the hole is lined up or nearly so. If only nearly so, there is risk of it being obstructed (there will only be one bee-way now, anyway!) Not a very sensible way to go.

Any entrance at this time of the year that needs to be two bee-ways to avoid wasp entry should only be on a nucleus hive IMO. Think about it,

Mouseguards are simple devices. I do not fit them until the bees are no longer flying. With the current weather, that time has not yet arrived.
 
Thanks oliver90owner some sound advice. I have since gone out and lifted the Mouse Guard to allow the bees to easily walk in and out as before, and also to better manage the Wasp situation. I will remove the inspection board from under the hive to allow some air flow. Thinking about it, yes good idea to fit the MG after they stop flying, I do have a mouse trap in the house and have caught five mice, been quiet for two weeks now(although they could be outside - granted).

This is both thrilling aswell as very nerving, as I am experiencing all this for the first time and the guidance, information and tips on this forum have proved very useful, even though I may not have much to offer back to the community at the moment.

Just want to say a HUGE Thanks to everyone who takes the time to post and comment here and help the likes of myself, starting out on my adventure........
 
Just a quick one about the inspection board. This is only used during varroa treatment and is left out for the majority of the time.

(ignore if you're already aware)
 

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