Do you fit mouse guards?

[Do224]

What’s the general feeling on this… do most people fit them as a matter of course? Or generally don’t bother?

 

[The Poot]

What’s the general feeling on this… do most people fit them as a matter of course? Or generally don’t bother?

I use Abelo products and the entrance block has a slider that can simply be reversed to both open the entrance for Winter and serve as a mouse guard. So I do.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Home made UFE so no need. Before I had these I just reduced the entrance to 5cm bee space

 

[Sutty]

Many of my paradise poly hives have the sliding entrance which is not high enough for a mouse, my other hives get half-height small entrance blocks.

 

[Garry R]

My wasp guards are in place all winter and double up as mouse guards.

 

[Superlativesoul]

Home made UFE so no need. Before I had these I just reduced the entrance to 5cm bee space

I made some earlier this year and they are on my hives ,8mm beespace further in and also they enter on the third frame of the brood box so more bees to defend against unwanted invaders .Worked very well against the wasps
John

 

[ldwgs]

What’s the general feeling on this… do most people fit them as a matter of course? Or generally don’t bother?

we need to we are in a Nature Reserve and have wood mice who last year spent winter in an empty hive

 

[Amari]

I keep my spare kit (QXs, CBs, ekes, Snellgrove boards, feeders etc) in two plastic cabinets in my apiary. Inevitably mice get in so that I find collections of dried leaves, nibbled PIR etc from this month on. Sadly I am considering mouse bait (coumarin-based) within the cabinets. Barney won't be pleased!
Thinks, could any of the vets on here tell me if birds have the same blood coagulation system as mammals -I don't want to poison Barney should he catch and eat the mice..

 

[Sutty]

I keep my spare kit (QXs, CBs, ekes, Snellgrove boards, feeders etc) in two plastic cabinets in my apiary. Inevitably mice get in so that I find collections of dried leaves, nibbled PIR etc from this month on. Sadly I am considering mouse bait (coumarin-based) within the cabinets. Barney won't be pleased!
Thinks, could any of the vets on here tell me if birds have the same blood coagulation system as mammals -I don't want to poison Barney should he catch and eat the mice..View attachment 41565

I'm not a vet (human medicine) but a quick google shows that birds (including owls) are sensitive, although warfarin was less toxic to them the modern rodenticides can cause secondary poisoning.
How about one of the electric (battery powered) mouse killers or one of the Goodnature self resetting CO2 powered ones?
Or make the cabinets mouse-proof!

 

[Erichalfbee]

An ordinary mouse trap does the job. We dot them under pea plants and in the strawberry bed as well as the polytunnel. Then feed the bodies to the kites. Works well.

 

[Sutty]

An ordinary mouse trap does the job. We dot them under pea plants and in the strawberry bed as well as the polytunnel. Then feed the bodies to the kites. Works well.

Legally I think spring traps are supposed to be checked daily, presumably so any trapped but not killed rodents can be dealt with.
I stopped using spring rat traps near my chickens after a couple were caught sideways across the back and I felt hadn't been humanely killed.

 

[Antipodes]

What’s the general feeling on this… do most people fit them as a matter of course? Or generally don’t bother?

I've never even seen one.

 

[Nannysbees]

Yes fitted our mouse guards today, recticel going on tomorrow, seems to have worked for us for the last five years so hopefully will keep the bees cwtched up again this winter.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Legally I think spring traps are supposed to be checked daily, presumably so any trapped but not killed rodents can be dealt with.
I stopped using spring rat traps near my chickens after a couple were caught sideways across the back and I felt hadn't been humanely killed.

We do check ours daily. I’ve never seen a live mouse in one.
Anticoagulant poisoned rodents are likely to experience severe to extreme welfare impacts for days before dying and are thought to remain conscious throughout.

 

[Sutty]

We do check ours daily. I’ve never seen a live mouse in one.
Anticoagulant poisoned rodents are likely to experience severe to extreme welfare impacts for days before dying and are thought to remain conscious throughout.

Exactly why I changed to an air rifle rather than poison. Much more humane, and surprisingly satisfying. A night vision setup is a big help too! Confident head shots only!
The goodnature traps are impressive but pricy. Mega-fast blow to the head.

 

[Amari]

We do check ours daily. I’ve never seen a live mouse in one.
Anticoagulant poisoned rodents are likely to experience severe to extreme welfare impacts for days before dying and are thought to remain conscious throughout.

Exactly why I changed to an air rifle rather than poison. Much more humane, and surprisingly satisfying. A night vision setup is a big help too!
The goodnature traps are impressive but pricy. Mega-fast blow to the head.

Ah, I hadn't realised that a/c cause painful death. I have some mousetraps which are very effective on the allotment strawberry patch so will dig them out.
I have an air rifle (unused for years) but the chances of me hitting a mouse are zero.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have an air rifle (unused for years) but the chances of me hitting a mouse are zero.

Sitting up all night guarding your store to take a shot seems a little excessive too.

 

[The Poot]

Ah, I hadn't realised that a/c cause painful death. I have some mousetraps which are very effective on the allotment strawberry patch so will dig them out.
I have an air rifle (unused for years) but the chances of me hitting a mouse are zero.

Peanut butter is a good bait.

 

[Sutty]

Peanut butter is a good bait.

Spread on a propped up paving slab, keeps them still & provides a good backstop.
I was after rats but tripod mounted and zeroed to the target I'd be confident of a mouse head shot too. (PCP rifle).
It didn't take many sessions to eradicate them.

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

We put mouse guards on everything, it's one of the joys of being based in an arable area that is mostly no till.
The mouse population has really expanded in the last few years and we now have a pest control company on contract.