mouse guards.

[Heather]

Why are mouseguards metal?
They make plastic QE.. the bees get to the metal mouseguard and the freezing cold of the metal stops some in their tracks and they are history. Surely plastic would reduce mortality.. or am I missing the obvious?

 

[victor meldrew]

Why are mouseguards metal?
They make plastic QE.. the bees get to the metal mouseguard and the freezing cold of the metal stops some in their tracks and they are history. Surely plastic would reduce mortality.. or am I missing the obvious?

Mice are rodents , rodents teeth don't stop growing , rodents would make short shrift of owt less substancial than metal !

John W.

 

[drstitson]

there are plastic mouse guards on some polyhives.

but as above- mice like to gnaw.

 

[Heather]

Ok - fair enough.. Shame though as sad to see bees half way in...

 

[victor meldrew]

It's a quandary Heather but the lesser of two evils wins it for me

John W.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Somebody on this forum recommended hammering frame pins at bee space intervals into the entrance block so you got a portcullis arrangement. I had the picture somewhere but I've lost it.That's what I did and the bees have been coming and going and hoiking out their dead quite happily. Did anybody else try that?

 

[Heather]

Easy to imagine- will do that next year -
Is polyurethane nibble proof- (dont know what it is ) - but sounds familiar.
There must be stuff on the market that is nibble proof and not cold - hellfire they are sending men to Mars (Lord knows why- this planet is more than enough for us to mess up!) - surely there must be a substance cheap and easy to produce...

 

[Pookiesbees]

I hammered nails in at the appropriate space and have had no mouse trouble, bees in and out quite happily, and hauling dead with gusto. No casualties from cold metal. Quick and easy guard for next to no cost.

 

[steve1958]

I have USED D.I.Y. plasic mouse guards.
They have survived so far
No sign of mouse infestation... just Woodpeckers!

 

[Poly Hive]

Heather you are the 2nd person to mention metal is cold?

Plastic at 5 degrees will be just as cold as metal at 5 degrees.

And?

BTW never ever put a mouse excluder on my poly hives. And never had a mouse in.

Did have a mouse in a dead nuc but I had taken off the mouse guard. On my nucs I use a bit of ply with 8mm holes in it and they work just fine.

PH

 

[Storm™]

Have a word with your local school. Our Craft Design and Technology section within the school used to have a plasticiser. You hung the metal (whatever) in it, closed the lid, open up, plastic coated. See if they can help.

It may be the same temperature, but when heat is applied, plastic is not such a good heat sink. So will draw away less heat than just metal. For example what would you rather sit on for a poo - Plastic loo seat, metal loo seat??? lol

 

[Silly Bee]

I have left on the homemade mesh tunnels that were so effective at confusing the wasps in the autumn.

They don't seem to be a problem for the bees, and so far no problem with mice.

 

[richardbees]

Poly

Not true...metal has a lower thermal ineria than plastic i.e. will transfer heat faster from the bee

 

[nelletap]

This sounds like a very cunning plan but I cannot quite picture it. Can you add some detail or a photo somewhere?
Tricia

 

[oliver90owner]

Lets not get into heat transfers too heavily with bees. They are at the ambient temperature, plus a very small amount. They will typically be the same temperature as the mouseguard. The thermal capacity of a metal mouseguard is is naff all anyway, but is pretty well irrelevant if you are a bee as there will be very little temperature gradient.

What temperatutre do you think the bees' legs are when flying? Ambient, that is what it will be!

The largest heat loss will be to the surrounding air. If the bee is flying in 'iffy' temperatures, it will simply be whether the bee can actually get through the mouseguard before succumbing to the cold by losing heat to the surrounding air.

For whoever was sitting on the loo seat, they should remember the seat is at ambient and the back-side is trying to be around 37 degrees celsius. If the loo seat were at 37 it would make no dfference what material it was made of. Sorry, but a simple mistake using that analogy.

RAB

 

[Storm™]

LOL - and the mouse guard/bees legs would be at ambient also. I wasn't referring the loo seats ambient temp, rather to its heat sink effect. Plastic reflects heat better and metal absorbs better. But its all a joke anyhow Olly lol

P.S. if your loo seat is at 37 degrees assume house on fire.

 

[steve_e]

Can we take the mouseguards off yet or are there still rodents lurking in the undergrowth ready to leap in?

 

[oliver90owner]

Can we take the mouseguards off yet

Is it still winter?

RAB

 

[steve_e]

OK, I take it that means no then.

So, which definition of Spring do beekeepers use? 1st March or 20th March? Or do we have our own beekeeping date for spring?

 

[Poly Hive]

Two things here.

Bees pop through the mouse guards so what blessed difference does the temperature of the mouse guard matter...? Not a jot. Mouse proof material does though.

Spring is when it happens for you where you are. It's that simple.

No dates involved. None.

Watch your thermometer.

My mouseguards are on, and are staying on for a while yet.

PH