Mouseguards on poly hives

[linoleum bonypart]

I turn the circular entrance cover to blocked and just leave a bee sized gap

 

[Beefriendly]

I do that with my Maisie nucs but I use a Perspex crown with a rim.
If you have supers on top you would need a double rim.

Why would you need a double rim?
There is plenty of bottom space in a super, so no need to create more space.

 

[Swarm]

In TBS boxes, the frames are level with the bottom of the box so would be in contact with it. A double rim creates too much space that they build comb in.

 

[Poly Hive]

I have no idea why Paynes decided to go with that entrance and the scallop on the front unless something to do with copyright?

Anyway TJ you wasted your money on mouse guards for Swientys as they are designed so mice to not get in. Yet to see it happen.

PH

 

[Levitt53]

Now imagine that block with little nails knocked down through it and you have a mouse guard.

Hi Swarm. Thanks that is an excellent idea. I think I’ll do that. Sorry I missed your original comment.

 

[Beverlyp24]

It would be a great idea, except that the entrance block is plastic and therefore I don't think you can hammer nails into it. That said, I'm not a Carpenter!

 

[Eyeman]

It would be a great idea, except that the entrance block is plastic and therefore I don't think you can hammer nails into it. That said, I'm not a Carpenter!

Drill some pilot holes first the add the nail.

 

[Beefriendly]

If you must fiddle then just stick some doweling/bamboo cane through the 4 holes that are already there. KISS.

Keep it even simpler and do nowt to the entrance block.Not had a mouse in paynes poly hive yet and I have quite a few that have been in use for a good few years now.

 

[Karsal]

If you must fiddle then just stick some doweling/bamboo cane through the 4 holes that are already there. KISS.

Keep it even simpler and do nowt to the entrance block.Not had a mouse in paynes poly hive yet and I have quite a few that have been in use for a good few years now.

I remember speaking to someone at Paynes several years ago and they confirmed that the plastic entrance block with the four holes is actually a mouseguard as the holes are the same size as the metal mouseguards they sell for wooden hives.

 

[Beefriendly]

Yes, of course! Doh.....

 

[pargyle]

Yes there is. The modification is to make it top space by adding more height to the top. With a swienty you simply take the runners out but that is not ideal

Or make your crown boards with a 6mm rim ... works for me with the Paynes Polys.

 

[pargyle]

Keep it even simpler and do nowt to the entrance block.Not had a mouse in paynes poly hive yet and I have quite a few that have been in use for a good few years now.

I have mice in the garden and Paynes poly hives - I've even seen one cheeky little beggar on the landing board cleaning up dead bees but I agree - I think the Paynes Poly entrance block is too deep, even in the standard position, for a mouse to compress its head sufficiently to get in. I don't like the four hole business and have never used it in that position as it just looks like a bit of an obstacle for the bees to accommodate. Get a dry clear day in winter and it's like spaghetti junction on the landing board - at least with the standard entrance there is no significant queuing.

 

[Bosleeu]

What do those with poly hives do about mouseguards. And before this goes off topic yes we have mice in our garden and I want to use a mouseguard. The poly entrance block has a 4 hole guard setting but last year this seemed too small an entrance for my active hive. I was going to just put a normal mouseguard on it with the entrance black ck removed but the groves in the brood box mean it won’t sit flush. I’ve only just twigged that and am not sure what to do.

I push mine in with the curved edge backwards, holes facing forwards. Then I edge it in slowly until it leaves a small slit, big enough for the bees but too small for a mouse, about as wide as the holes in the front).

Hope I explained it right - the space is between the curved edge and the bottom of the hive body. When it gets really cold I push it in all the way, flush with the hive body. I repeat this process in reverse when it gets warmer in Spring.

I am going to the bees later so can take a picture if it's confusing.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Madge]

From Ted Hooper, mice can't get through a hole that's no larger 3/8" (or 9.5mm), or a slot that's no higher than 5/16" high (or 7.9mm).

A bottom bracket is about 7 mm x 9 mm (I think) - so, that can give an idea of the size of the opening. I've always relied on those measurements and never used mouse guards.

But I've just now measured an Abelo hive opening, and I'm now slightly worried that the entrance reducer slot might be too high (although I didn't have any mice in them last winter).

I'm now also worried about the disc entrances to the Paynes nucs. I've already reduced the entrance to deter wasps - but I may have to slide the disc over further to deter mice.

 

[Poly Hive]

I have used 9mm holes in my home made guards and never had a failure. Just a bit of plywood with holes in it at random really.

Cheap and efficient and screwed to the poly nucs as mine have a home made 2" entrance and others have a roughly cut 4" x 2" slot of an entrance so they all need a guard on them.

PH

 

[Levitt53]

I push mine in with the curved edge backwards, holes facing forwards. Then I edge it in slowly until it leaves a small slit, big enough for the bees but too small for a mouse, about as wide as the holes in the front).

Hope I explained it right - the space is between the curved edge and the bottom of the hive body. When it gets really cold I push it in all the way, flush with the hive body. I repeat this process in reverse when it gets warmer in Spring.

I am going to the bees later so can take a picture if it's confusing.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Hi, thanks. That makes sense don’t worry. Good idea. I’ll fiddle tomorrow.

 

[Beverlyp24]

Thanks for all the advice, I can't take the credit for the question but would like to say that the answers have been really helpful to me.

I do have a question regarding the Payne poly feeder for full size hives. I found I had a lot of dead bees who had drowned under the plastic cover. So much so, I was concerned it prevented other bees getting to the syrup. I did see they suggest adding sand to the paint but mine were often trying to walk down the clear plastic cover which is completely smooth.

Has anyone else had experience of using these, good or bad?

 

[Bosleeu]

Thanks for all the advice, I can't take the credit for the question but would like to say that the answers have been really helpful to me.

I do have a question regarding the Payne poly feeder for full size hives. I found I had a lot of dead bees who had drowned under the plastic cover. So much so, I was concerned it prevented other bees getting to the syrup. I did see they suggest adding sand to the paint but mine were often trying to walk down the clear plastic cover which is completely smooth.

Has anyone else had experience of using these, good or bad?

Normally happens if the bees are very hungry and loads try to get to the food. I put some hay or straw in the bottom of the feeding compartment. Stops the bees from drowning each other.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Karsal]

From Ted Hooper, mice can't get through a hole that's no larger 3/8" (or 9.5mm), or a slot that's no higher than 5/16" high (or 7.9mm).

A bottom bracket is about 7 mm x 9 mm (I think) - so, that can give an idea of the size of the opening. I've always relied on those measurements and never used mouse guards.

But I've just now measured an Abelo hive opening, and I'm now slightly worried that the entrance reducer slot might be too high (although I didn't have any mice in them last winter).

I'm now also worried about the disc entrances to the Paynes nucs. I've already reduced the entrance to deter wasps - but I may have to slide the disc over further to deter mice.

I've eight Paynes poly nucs. I've used one full mouse guard strip cut into pieces that fit fully across the entrances. Drilled small pilot holes for map pins to fit through and pinned over each entrance.Closed the entrance disc over an edge if needed and pinned that in place so it doesn't close over winter.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Or make your crown boards with a 6mm rim ... works for me with the Paynes Polys.

And a double rim on your excluder