Mouse Guards

[Liam C Ryan]

Anyone know the measurements , hole size, of mouse guards ??

 

[drstitson]

smaller than a mouse?

seriously - 9mm max diameter.

 

[Cazza]

Hi Liam
Just happen to have some in the house so I measured them.
47 cms by 3.8 cms. Hole diameter .9 cm

Or in imp:
18 1/2 ins by 1 1/2 ins. Hole diameter 5/16th in.

( Two rows of holes .2 cms apart.)
Cazza

 

[Poly Hive]

See my winter policy in a mess thread.

PH

 

[nonstandard]

Mouseguard newbie question

Hope you don't mind me jumping on this thread.

My mouseguards arrived today from bee hive bits, I have just a couple of simple questions.

• with or without the entrance block? I'm on OMF's
• which way up, broad edge up or down?

Thanks for any advice

 

[nonstandard]

Hope you don't mind me jumping on this thread.

My mouseguards arrived today from bee hive bits, I have just a couple of simple questions.

• with or without the entrance block? I'm on OMF's
• which way up, broad edge up or down?

Thanks for any advice

Sorry have now posted this as a separate thread and can't see how to edit or delete the original.

 

[Arfermo]

Hope you don't mind me jumping on this thread.

My mouseguards arrived today from bee hive bits, I have just a couple of simple questions.

• with or without the entrance block? I'm on OMF's
• which way up, broad edge up or down?

Whatever way you fancy that enables you to pin the mouseguard onto the hive, entrance block with narrow aperture on the top (so that winter debris does not block the entrance) in place. Actually the bees can get through a 6mm gap quite happily which is why I have made entrance blocks with only a 6mm by 100 mm wide gap - too narrow for mice but bees very happy. I use my own blocks for Baily Comb changing too so I KNOW they work. Saves expense and peeing about with pins and whatever.

 

[oliver90owner]

With an OMF, does it really matter if there is an entrance block - not really, so just your choice.

Personally, I usually leave in a piece of wood and only have shorter lengths of mouse guard, if actually fitted. I halve (at least) my mouse guard costs that way!

There are knock-on effects too. They can be stored in a smaller box, for a start and take up only half the room as twice as many!

Regards, RAB

 

[beebreeder]

Don't put them on until you are sure there is no pollen coming in as it can act as an excellent pollen trap just when they need as much as possible in the hive

 

[drstitson]

I presume mice are more likely to plunder hives when other "forage" is getting scarce? So as beebreeder says probably best to allow as much pollen into hive while possible. Plus given the quality of the hedgerow harvest this year the mice are probably occupied for a while yet.

 

[Poly Hive]

I cannot agree with hive breeder as.... yesterday I evicted a mouse from a nuc and there was pollen arriving in spades.

Most pollen will get through the guard, and I drilled mine out with a 8mm bit.

I made some out of ply as the entrnaces in my nucs are 40mm holes. Too big for a bought guard to fit.

I will take some pics on my next site visit as the ones I took yesterday were blurred. However I observed pollen legs going straight through the holes.

I will also be putting plastic bags of mouse poison under the hives and nucs as in the past this has proved highly effective in reducing the local population. And there are no kestrels around.

PH

 

[nonstandard]

Thanks for your comments, the mouseguards are now in place, there is little going in pollen wise here at the moment despite a good local source of ivy; it was going in by the shovel full a week or two ago but hive activity is almost non existent.

the hives are situated in the veg garden close to the chickens, so always plenty of scope for rodent activity.

Thanks again.

 

[drstitson]

polyhive

are the entrances on your nucs ROUND 40mm holes??? if so have you considered using 4 way discs at the entrance?