Mouse Guards and entrance size?

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TylBee

New Bee
Joined
Aug 21, 2019
Messages
26
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4
Location
South Downs
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
2
Hello,
I have two BN hives with OMFs. At the end of the summer I rotated the entrance bars from the normal wide opening to the 'reduced' setting to deter robbing. If I fit a metal mouse guard (long strip, lots of holes) over the reduced entrance, it means the bees only have about 2-3 holes to get in and out. Is that enough?

There's not much flying today, and who can blame them, but when we get those occasional warm days, there's quite a traffic jam, not to mention the possibility of dead bodies collecting behind the mouse guard and possibly jamming it.

I just don't know if the reduced entrance/mouse guard combo is enough for them.
Thank you.
 
Hello,
I have two BN hives with OMFs. At the end of the summer I rotated the entrance bars from the normal wide opening to the 'reduced' setting to deter robbing. If I fit a metal mouse guard (long strip, lots of holes) over the reduced entrance, it means the bees only have about 2-3 holes to get in and out. Is that enough?
No it's not - take the entrance block out totally
 
Throw mouse guard in the bin and use entrances that are 6mm high. Saves the faff.
 
Throw mouse guard in the bin and use entrances that are 6mm high. Saves the faff.
Thanks for the advice. Presumably they can be used all year? Do you know if they can be bought at that 6mm height, the only ones I can find are 7mm? Thank you.
 
Thanks for the advice. Presumably they can be used all year? Do you know if they can be bought at that 6mm height, the only ones I can find are , 7mm? Thank you.
7mm are fine it's what I use on my solid floors, they are fixed on the six inch wide entrance at all times
 
If you have open mesh floors then the entrance block needs to be in and with an entrance width of only an inch width mid winter UK.
I have adjustable entrance blocks into which I clip a castellated mouse guard in mid winter I can reduce the entrance width and as activity increases I can give them the maximum width of 5" which is the maximum mid summer they ever have now that adequate ventilation comes through the OMF.
Whilst the OMF is the best thing that came along for hives regarding winter ventilation I do protect it from draughts and have my hives on wooden stands and have this year fitted a skirt around the base. So adequate vent without a cold damp blow from underneath. In addition I have insulation on the crown board with no ventilation that only come through the OMF and is controlled by the bees. I also insulate the sides of the box.
 
Thanks very much for all your advice, and just to check I understand it correctly -

I can either replace my current 'reduced entrance' bar (one inch anti robbing entrance) with a height reduced bar of 7mm instead, and don't fit mouse guards,
or,
I fit an adjustable entrance bar and add a castellated mouse guard?
Have I got that right? Thanks.
 
If you have open mesh floors then the entrance block needs to be in and with an entrance width of only an inch width mid winter UK.
I have adjustable entrance blocks into which I clip a castellated mouse guard in mid winter I can reduce the entrance width and as activity increases I can give them the maximum width of 5" which is the maximum mid summer they ever have now that adequate ventilation comes through the OMF.
Whilst the OMF is the best thing that came along for hives regarding winter ventilation I do protect it from draughts and have my hives on wooden stands and have this year fitted a skirt around the base. So adequate vent without a cold damp blow from underneath. In addition I have insulation on the crown board with no ventilation that only come through the OMF and is controlled by the bees. I also insulate the sides of the box.
Thanks Tommo, it's pretty blowy where I live and my hives are already on stands, but the idea of a 'skirt' sounds good - what are they made of?
 
Thanks very much for all your advice, and just to check I understand it correctly -

I can either replace my current 'reduced entrance' bar (one inch anti robbing entrance) with a height reduced bar of 7mm instead, and don't fit mouse guards,
or,
I fit an adjustable entrance bar and add a castellated mouse guard?
Have I got that right? Thanks.
Yes for the first (a six inch wide entrance will be fine on either an OMF or solid floor)
for the second, just remove any entrance bar and fit a castellated mouse guard.
 
Great, I get it. Thank you all for your time, and Tommo, thanks for the info and pic.
That's the weekend sorted...
 

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