Losing pollen

[bpmurray]

Today the girls are flying well, even though it's still a chilly 8C. However, they're losing some of the pollen presumably because of the mouse guards. Is this amount normal? I just recorded this to illustrate the scale.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Losing a bit of pollen will not be much of a problem, but that mouse guard looks to be a bit tight, and upside down, they would not lose much pollen if you turned the guard so the archway was at the top.

Edit...it would also be easier for them to remove any dead bees.

 

[wessexmario]

you could try turning that mouseguard the other way around.
If the pollen is being knocked off when they're climbing through the curve on what is now the bottom of the slot, putting the rectangular section of the slot at the bottom may help avoid that.

 

[bpmurray]

Losing a bit of pollen will not be much of a problem, but that mouse guard looks to be a bit tight, and upside down, they would not lose much pollen if you turned the guard so the archway was at the top.

I know it's upside down but it was evil weather when I put it on and they seemed happy enough then. Is it too early to take it off? We'll probably have another few nights of frost before it's all done, but not much.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Get into your workshop and make an entrance block with a 9mm slot entrance. This is what I have on my poly hives. No mice and no knocked off pollen

 

[bpmurray]

Just switched the mouseguard around and they have more room - easier than creating a new block

I also had a peek inside (those perspex crown boards are great - bee TV) and they've started building comb on the plastic around the block of fondant! The actually haven't eaten much of it since they had a load of ivy honey, but if they're starting to build brace comb, would it make sense to put on a super? It seems much too cold, but maybe they could do with the room?

 

[Erichalfbee]

would it make sense to put on a super? It seems much too cold,

I wouldn't have thought so. Don't make any decisions till you look in when it gets warmer. The rough rule is to add a super when there are 7 frames of brood and I don't think that likely this early in the year.

 

[bontbee]

That mouseguard looks as if it would be a little tight, (particularly the arched entrances to each side of the central hole), even if it was the right way up. As others have said, at least turn it over and make sure that the bottom of the entrances are sitting at the same level as the floor. It looks, to me, as if quite a high proportion of the pollen going in is being wasted...and all that effort, too!

 

[Finman]

.
I suppose that bees are now so active that they keep mice off from hive.
Mouse guard is not needed any more.

 

[Davelin]

Took my mouseguards off last week

 

[wessexmario]

There is so much pollen there, I'd scoop it all up, take the cover off and quickly drop it down the seams of bees. (when the temp is warm enough)
The bees will sort it all out.

 

[BrianO]

I suppose that bees are now so active that they keep mice off from hive.
Mouse guard is not needed any more.

Agreed !. Levels of activity high, even with a few temperature dips , like now, with the longer days and stronger sun @ 33 degrees . They are regularily active even on the colder days during the midday.

Would be a brave mouse to enter now !

Taking mine off this weekend and will keep entrance reduced

 

[Erichalfbee]

It depends where you are.
Here night time temperature was 3˚
It was 4.5 when I went along to the apiary this morning to put fondant on one colony.
Bees were tightly clustered.
It's only 6.5 now with a cold wind.
My mouse guards stay on.

 

[beeno]

QUOTE=Erichalfbee;465536]It depends where you are.
Here night time temperature was 3˚
It was 4.5 when I went along to the apiary this morning to put fondant on one colony.
Bees were tightly clustered.
It's only 6.5 now with a cold wind.
My mouse guards stay on.[/QUOTE]

 

[Finman]

.
I have and entrance reducer whose hight is 6 mm.

 

[Arfermo]

12" stands and narrow entrance - never seen a mouse anyway so my mouseguards never used these days. Offers? Our cat has gone off the water and other voles as their bile upsets her I think so probably concentrates on mice to eke out her rations!!!

 

[snelgrove]

That's a lot of pollen to lose at this time of the year, definitely wouldn't use those guards. Took my mouse guards of this weekend. Bees flying but still cold