Mouse guards?

[jonnybeegood]

Have many of you actually had mice in hives? I know people in some books recommend them because they have had mice, most of these being commercial beekeepers with lots of hives, maybe not all on stands? I only ask because normally when the weather is cooler, the bees come home & straight into the hive, now the weather is colder & they do fly, they come back sluggish & chilled, & wander about outside the mouse guards struggling to get in, end up cold & die at the entrance. Yes my mouse guards are fitted correctly & in the best positions to make it easy for them to get through, do we really need them as much as we think?

 

[Goran]

Maybe we need them but I don't use them..

 

[jonnybeegood]

Maybe we need them but I don't use them..

You never had a problem Goran?

 

[Goran]

I have bees from 2010. Never had mouse guards. This year had odd thing that in September in several hives in lower box were some combs damaged by mice or their relatives - what is odd thing for me. I "blaim" disastrous weather due to endless rain storms and wet ground saturated with water and they run for "higher and drier" place.. Evenso I won't use mouseguards. My mentor has about 150 hives and don't use mouseguards. I rather put traps beneath the hives ( anyway there is overpopulation of mice and their cousins over here).

 

[jonnybeegood]

I have bees from 2010. Never had mouse guards. This year had odd thing that in September in several hives in lower box were some combs damaged by mice or their relatives - what is odd thing for me. I "blaim" disastrous weather due to endless rain storms and wet ground saturated with water and they run for "higher and drier" place.. Evenso I won't use mouseguards. My mentor has about 150 hives and don't use mouseguards. I rather put traps beneath the hives ( anyway there is overpopulation of mice and their cousins over here).

We have more short tailed field voles here where mine are than mice, i dont think they bother hives for honey but i'm not %100 sure. If i set traps it would just be resetting every day, besides i would rather the owls kept their numbers in check, as well as the neighbours dam cats!

 

[Goran]

We usually canot just copy/paste solutions, but talk helps to see how someone else manage some situations and if applicable to use it. I first won't hesitate to use something that will help me.

 

[bontbee]

Have many of you actually had mice in hives?

I have, but only twice: in the first, a mouse popped it's head out of a very cosy nest when I took the coverboard off at the first spring inspection - needless to say, the nest occupied the space that the cluster had. Pile of dead, and somewhat munched, bees on the floorboard, (solid floors in those days...)

The second round was to the bees - on that occasion the first inspection revealed a mummified mouse and a broodnest occupying the un-mousified combs. (Has anyone else heard of the suggestion that bees won't use combs that mice have peed on, let alone chewed away??)

I use mouseguards now, if I remember.....

 

[Madge]

I have bees from 2010. Never had mouse guards. This year had odd thing that in September in several hives in lower box were some combs damaged by mice or their relatives - what is odd thing for me. ...

Goran, judging from your photo I think your hives don't need mouse guards as your entrance reducers are doing that job already. If the entrances are about 6mm high the hive should be fairly safe. Did you use the entrance reducers in September?

The same applies to you, Jonny. If you use your BHS entrance reducers, your hives should be OK. Mine have been so far. Look back to your previous thread.
Kitta

 

[Goran]

The entrance is 10mm high. I know some beeks put metal plate to reduce the entrance height to 6mm during winter-they say it works. I don't use reducers, same entrance during the season.

 

[Eyeman]

I've had 2 hives with overwintered mice. These hives were set up in a friends garden without guards. Inspection in spring showed in one all bees were dead, the other had a small cluster that I moved into a nuc. Can't remember if they survived.
Have alway used mouse guards since

 

[Madge]

The entrance is 10mm high. I know some beeks put metal plate to reduce the entrance height to 6mm during winter-they say it works. I don't use reducers, same entrance during the season.

I can see what looks like entrance reducers in use on your hives (eg, the yellow one under the brown box). If the openings are 10mm high, then you can easily reduce their height by gluing a slither of wood (like a lolly pop stick or two) to the top of the opening. Better safe than sorry.

 

[jonnybeegood]

I can see what looks like entrance reducers in use on your hives (eg, the yellow one under the brown box). If the openings are 10mm high, then you can easily reduce their height by gluing a slither of wood (like a lolly pop stick or two) to the top of the opening. Better safe than sorry.

Cant mice get through a 6mm gap? I thought it was the width that was a concern too , hence round holes in ME's. Mice can flatten their heads. & bodies to squeeze through slots but cant get through a small round hole.

 

[Madge]

Cant mice get through a 6mm gap? I thought it was the width that was a concern too , hence round holes in ME's. Mice can flatten their heads. & bodies to squeeze through slots but cant get through a small round hole.

Entrances as in Goran's hives should be no higher than 6mm. The width does not matter. A round entrance should not exceed 9.5 mm diameter.

(I'm nowhere near my reference books to check - so somebody please correct me if I'm wrong. )

It has to do with the shape of a mouse's scull: the jaws are wider than the height of the scull - so a 9.5mm hole will prevent a mouse from entering a hive, but if the entrance is a long gap as in Goran's hives (and yours) then the height should be no more than 6mm - but in your case with your BHS hives that opening is horizontal (as opposed to vertical as in Goran's hives) but with the BHS entrance reducers in place, your hives should also be protected against mice. You should not need anything else.
Kitta

 

[Finman]

.
Smallest "mouse" which goes into beehive is pygmy shrew. It eates only the wing muscles of the bee, and does not destroy combs. You may see that from rubbish on floor or outside of entrance.

I use only entrance reducer < 10 mm but pygmy shrews go in quite often.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Look at that dinky nose.........ahhhhhh
Caught a huge fat mouse in the "Big Snapper" last night....poor thing Really need to get Messrs Rats !!!!!

 

[jonnybeegood]

.
Smallest "mouse" which goes into beehive is pygmy shrew. It eates only the wing muscles of the bee, and does not destroy combs. You may see that from rubbish on floor or outside of entrance.

I use only entrance reducer < 10 mm but pygmy shrews go in quite often.

Lovely shrew picture, amazing little animals, like mice on speed!

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Always put mouse guards on my hives. Had one last year that had a mouse in it, bit through the plastic mesh on the bottom of the hive. All my other hives has metal meshes. I think I would have a problem if I didn't fit the mouse guards. Currently doing battle with rats. Our neighbours have them in their garage, they are now trying to fin their way into my chicken pen. Have caught 4 big ones so far in my traps. Also found a drowned mouse next to the chickens water today, and a wasp in the house.