Reducing entrance

[Nick W]

Strange one. Its cold at night but warm in the day.

Should I reduce the entrance now or wait until its cold in the day and less activity as well?

Cheers

Nick

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

This weekend I'll be expanding the entrance rather than reducing it by taking out the blocks (assuming no lurking wasps) and putting on the mouseguards

 

[oliver90owner]

Should I reduce the entrance now or wait until its cold in the day and less activity as well?

Does it make any difference? No it does'nt. Unless there is a howling gale directly into the entrance!

Think open OMFs all winter. The entrance will be there all winter. I leave mine open full width.

RAB

 

[drstitson]

to save the worry in future - get some A.M.caucasia blood in your stocks - then they'll manage the entrance themselves.

 

[Vergilius]

Nick W,

Are you talking about mouse guards? They should be put on in the next few weeks. You don't need entrance blocks during the winter.


Ben P

 

[Browntea]

I've put my mouse guard on and reduced the opening with the sliders down to about 3 inch, no OMF, will this be fine?

 

[victor meldrew]

to save the worry in future - get some A.M.caucasia blood in your stocks - then they'll manage the entrance themselves.

Please spare me
I have one colony that emulates the sub species , Ok in Winter but during the active season it's a veritable pain in the butt! Propolis in a semi-liquid ,sticky state gumming everything up and dripping through the OMFs. The bee space under the frame lugs takes on the appearance of an asphalt lake !!!!Another trait is for them to fill the bottom few cells of each frame with propolis and then to join same together as they hate OMFs .
Another colony isn't as bad but shares some of these characteristics
VM

 

[drstitson]

were they from bickerst*ffes?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Keep the entrance blocks in place. Cut the mouse guards in half so you don't need as many.

 

[drstitson]

whatever you do just make sure the entrance isn't blocked with corpses over winter - if necessary sweep out with a piece of wire or similar.

 

[victor meldrew]

were they from bickerst*ffes?

No! home bred stock but influenced by exotic bees being imported like they are going out of fashion by peeps who should know better .
All we can hope is that given a few generations the local mongrel population attains some kind of balance having desirable characteristics
VM

 

[JamezF]

whatever you do just make sure the entrance isn't blocked with corpses over winter - if necessary sweep out with a piece of wire or similar.

I've never had problems with mice, so just leave the reduced entrance in for the winter. I do however put it in upside down so that debris on the floor doesn't tend to block it.

James

 

[victor meldrew]

I've never had problems with mice, so just leave the reduced entrance in for the winter. I do however put it in upside down so that debris on the floor doesn't tend to block it.

James

Having converted my floor to Dartington type, I shall rely on the vertical extended slotted entrance to deter mice
The slot is full hive width less thickness of side rails and is 8 m/m front to back !
In a couple of weeks I shall remove the removable landing boards to further deter Mickey Mouse . OOOops sorry and Minnie Mouse of course
VM

 

[bobandbec]

Mouseguards put on today with full width entrances and open mesh floors.

Why take a chance with mice for the cost of a mouseguard?

I had them in a couple of hives one Winter a while back and they did make a mess!

Peter

 

[Swarm]

....And why buy a mouseguard per hive when you can leave entrance block in place and cut the MG to fit?

 

[victor meldrew]

Mouseguards put on today with full width entrances and open mesh floors.

Why take a chance with mice for the cost of a mouseguard?

I had them in a couple of hives one Winter a while back and they did make a mess!

Peter

Had an attack on one hive from rats gnawing at one of the hives with an old fashioned omf/ stand !
Some young lady local equestrians' sloppy husbandry plus a couple of hard Winters have encouraged an influx of the vermin .
They didn't gain entry and I did find a young dead rat, eyes wide open and ears pricked in the grass about 3' in front of said hive !
I hope the cause was half a dozen beestings
VM

 

[user 6228]

I shall regrease the poles!

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

....And why buy a mouseguard per hive when you can leave entrance block in place and cut the MG to fit?

or even bang in a few nails across said entrance block

 

[victor meldrew]

I shall regrease the poles!

Under ground mice (Think Coal mines) live and breed in total darkness on a diet of axle grease mostly !
Be sure you aren't encouraging them
VM

 

[itma]

Having converted my floor to Dartington type, I shall rely on the vertical extended slotted entrance to deter mice
The slot is full hive width less thickness of side rails and is 8 m/m front to back ! ...

Am I right in thinking that such a 'Dartington-type' entrance would not be 'reduced' against wasps?

....And why buy a mouseguard per hive when you can leave entrance block in place and cut the MG to fit?

Why? Well one reason given to me was the risk of the few holes (in a guarded reduced entrance) becoming blocked with incompletely ejected dead bees.
Personally, I'd have expected the bees to be sharp enough not to wall themselves in completely, but that's what I've been taught.
The fence of nails does sound better to me.