Mouseguards

[oliver90owner]

Snowley mouseguard magnet

Seems expensive. File handle (with steel ferrule) from the tool box, or a car boot sale, and a neodymium magnet always worked for me. Cazza's pins are a good way to go as well, but the big handle plus little chance of dropping drawing pins appealed to me. Best solution is to have an entrance which does not require mouse guards. No problem fixing, removing, storing, deciding when to fix and when to remove. Much simpler beekeeping in the long run.

 

[sharonh]

All mouse guards attached. Bees were pinging like mad things. Very protective.
Still some drones around. Will there be any problems in bees ejecting drones from the hive with mouse guards in place?

 

[oliver90owner]

Ejecting? If the drones cannot negotiate your mouse guards they will be brown bread shortly. One reason why I never put them on as early as this (weather, not date).

 

[REDWOOD]

A round file will make a good mouse guard, simply turn your entrance block to the blocked off side and make a few archways, note this should be done when the block has been removed
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/entranceblox.html

 

[BeeBeeKa]

I use metal angle hive stands of about 40-45 centimeters in hight.


Would a mouse have any chance to get into my “bee towers”? Does anybody have such an experience?

 

[REDWOOD]

If anyone wishing to make their own mouse guards get a used commercial vehicle air filter and cut out the galvanised or stainless mesh

 

[sharonh]

Ejecting? If the drones cannot negotiate your mouse guards they will be brown bread shortly. One reason why I never put them on as early as this (weather, not date).

Weather here gone very cold at night. Frost and fog. Central heating on in house so thought mouse guards would be necessary now.. Prevention better than cure I guess.
Did wonder about the drones but I guess the bees will manage with the few that are still about.

 

[sbisme]

One reason why I never put them on as early as this (weather, not date).

I reduced my entrance a few days ago as nights are getting cold, today I could hear a roaring from the hive so pulled one of the pins and opened one of the entrance reducers, wow it was like opening the flood gates, so for the next few weeks I will be closing down in the evening and opening slightly during the day as wasps are still around.

 

[oliver90owner]

A good job you are only a two-hive beekeeper! Good job they are local! You must be, err, very protective of your bees. A crazy situation IMO.

 

[itma]

I reduced my entrance a few days ago as nights are getting cold, today I could hear a roaring from the hive so pulled one of the pins and opened one of the entrance reducers, wow it was like opening the flood gates, so for the next few weeks I will be closing down in the evening and opening slightly during the day as wasps are still around.

Sounds more like they were shut in, rather than behind a reduced entrance.

I think it would be worth having a very close up and careful look at whether there is still a way through for bees when you 'reduce' your entrance …

 

[sbisme]

Firstly sorry Sharonh for hijacking the thread, I had reduced the entrance down to 1 bee space due to the risk of mice entertaining and check my hive a few times daily, the bees were coming and going with a queue since reducing down, earlier today I checked and there was the usual queue but later on when I heard a roar from inside the hive I opened up the enterance a little more and as the picture in the previous post shows a rush in bees, I also did notice two bees brought a wasp out so not sure if that had anything to do it, so I don't believe It to be a crazy situation TBH.

Back off to the beginners section to play in the kindergarden

 

[B Special]

A great autumn day here today. No mouse guard on yet, I had reduced the entrance the last few months but the weather here in Ulster today was so good I opened it all up before reducing it this evening. The girls all afternoon where going nuts. Loads of pollen still being delivered. As a beginner I am really enjoying the experience as the serious weather and temperatures are lurking out there somewhere

 

[sharonh]

Have the mouse guards on all five hives. Did watch today for a while to make sure there were no problems with bees getting in or out . When fog burnt away, bees were very busy & loads of pollen going in.
The Irish temps have fallen a lot at night. Compared with east & south England, we would be 4 degrees lower most of the time, even with day time temp.
Have many of you put mouse guards in place or leaving it for longer?

 

[sharonh]

Firstly sorry Sharonh for hijacking the thread, I had reduced the entrance down to 1 bee space due to the risk of mice entertaining and check my hive a few times daily, the bees were coming and going with a queue since reducing down, earlier today I checked and there was the usual queue but later on when I heard a roar from inside the hive I opened up the enterance a little more and as the picture in the previous post shows a rush in bees, I also did notice two bees brought a wasp out so not sure if that had anything to do it, so I don't believe It to be a crazy situation TBH.

Back off to the beginners section to play in the kindergarden

Just be careful when reducing down to just one bee space. It can easily get blocked.
But as for the spilling of bees out the entrance .I had that when just trying to get the mouse guards on. They can be very protective this time of year. The slightest adjustment at entrance will stem them into action.
Regards
Sharon

 

[itma]

... I had reduced the entrance down to 1 bee space due to the risk of mice entertaining and check my hive a few times daily, the bees were coming and going with a queue since reducing down …

Just to clarify, the idea of mouseguarding is slightly different to responding to robbing of a weak colony.

For winter, you want more than a single 1-beespace entrance hole.
The minimum commercial solution (from Paynes for their Poly National range) has 4x approx 7mm holes - and that strikes me as being seriously limiting. I've got a couple of those and I'm not closing mine down to that just yet.
More commonly, you'd see lots more such holes, or a 6mm tall and 10cm wide slot.
Just one hole is very limiting. And potentially easily blocked by one of the thousands of workers that will die before winter is over. Through most of the year, only a small proportion of bees die in the hive. In winter, its a much higher proportion. The bees will try and remove the corpses, but any mouseguard is an obstacle.
// Sharon, you beat me to it!

Currently many colonies are still very strong, and, as you seem to have discovered, they need a bigger entrance (and exit!) than the single 1-beespace hole.

 

[richardbees]

sbisme

Just to check, are you using open mesh floors?

 

[sbisme]

Sharonh / itma thanks for clearing that up, I had originally closed down due to wasps and reading all about mice being able to enter holes above 6mm thought (wrongly) I could reduce my entrance right down, once the wasps danger has passed I will put the proper mouse guard on

 

[sbisme]

Richardbees yeh I am using OMF

 

[luckydunny]

Have had entrance blocks on for a while. Still seeing a few wasps. Lots of pollen going in and as weather still warm here during day am delaying putting miouseguards on for the time being.
A lovely sunny day here, 15 degrees at 9 o'clock.

 

[beeno]

The minimum commercial solution (from Paynes for their Poly National range) has 4x approx 7mm holes - and that strikes me as being seriously limiting. .

Hi itma,
Got one of those and can confirm that it is seriously limiting. Using my homemade one with 17 holes, but not on as yet in the balmy SE.