Mouse guards and woodpecker cages

[Cedar]

When will I be able to remove protection. The mouse guard is hindering the girls bringing pollen in, knocking it off as they go in. It is mild now but we could still have more frosts. Got this far through our first winter ok, don't want to make a mistake now.

Thanks Cedar

 

[moor141]

Mine coming of this week.

 

[mystil]

I have taken off my mouse guards last week as they were circling the hive trying to get in. It looked alot like heathrow airport.

We still have the blocks in though.

Not sure we should have but the girls looked like they needed it.

 

[Cedar]

Thanks , will take them off , can always put them back if it turns cold again. I know we have field mice under the filter of our pond and I hear the woodpecker daily now, so can't help worrying.

 

[Winker]

Took mine off 1st January

Look Snow and no Mouse guards

 

[Cazza]

When will I be able to remove protection. The mouse guard is hindering the girls bringing pollen in, knocking it off as they go in. It is mild now but we could still have more frosts. Got this far through our first winter ok, don't want to make a mistake now.

Thanks Cedar

Generally I would remove these somewhere close to the first week in April.
This depends on weather but also on the quantity of bees in the hive. I need to be very sure they are busy and there in sufficient numbers. For me, it is too early, never mind a little pollen loss.
Cazza

 

[Nic Rhodes]

remove mouseguards when pollen starts to come in

 

[itma]

When will I be able to remove protection. The mouse guard is hindering the girls bringing pollen in, knocking it off as they go in. It is mild now but we could still have more frosts. Got this far through our first winter ok, don't want to make a mistake now.

If your colonies are close at hand, and both pollen-loss and mice are worrying you, then it ought not to be any bother to take the guards off in the daytime and refit them for the night.
If the guards are secured by drawing pins, using a magnet (even a fridge magnet) to push in the pins (and catch them as a screwdriver eases them out) makes things much easier!

 

[Gardenbees]

As long as the bees are active, not clustered, I'm sure they'll be fine. It's when they're all tucked up that the meeces can sneak in without reprisals... that can happen whenever it's cold enough to cluster, even in April or May if you're unlucky.

My bees are pretty active so I've taken the guards off. If it gets really cold again, I'll put them back on, but today there was a shower of pollen underneath, and a great pile-up of bees trying to get in, so off came the guards. They're drop-in castellated guards, so can easily be replaced.

Edit:
Oh my - just noticed I've done 500 posts and acquired a second bee to my name!

 

[mojomoo]

My mouse guards are always off at Christmas, had always thought mice are a problem pre-hibernation?
Woodpecker netting off today!

 

[Erichalfbee]

A problem arises when hibernation is interrupted by pulses of clement weather.

 

[susbees]

My mouse guards are always off at Christmas, had always thought mice are a problem pre-hibernation?
Woodpecker netting off today!

I did two two week varroa counts after oxalic with straight slide in Correx boards. When we had that cold week in January there were significant mouse droppings on six of the boards. The other fortnight none.

From what you say Erichalfbee I can assume that the weather the other few days in that fortnight was better (unlikely) or is it possible that the cold snap forced them out in the couple of days after and before I took the boards out?

Hives on stands. No reason to assume that if the guards had been off they wouldn't have gone in the front door instead.

 

[Cazza]

My mouse guards are always off at Christmas, had always thought mice are a problem pre-hibernation?
Woodpecker netting off today!

I think that's too early for mouseguards. I have mice around my hives over Winter (I can see droppings.) I'm sure they would get in if they could given any opportunity.
Cazza

 

[rink123]

I take my mouse Gaurd off in the morning and it goes back on at night , I have killed three mice this winter, so I have my mouse traps set all the time with chocolate they love it .