Remove Entrance Block Prior to fitting mouse guard?

[gwt_uk]

Hello all, is it best to remove the entrance block before fitting a standard mouse guard? Or will it be too draughty coupled with an OMF?

 

[drex]

I remove mine. Some leave in, some turn them to have opening on the top. From a draft point of view it will not make a vast difference with an OMF. Take your pick

 

[hemo]

Adapt you entrance so the opening is 9mm then there is no need to faff with mouse guards, I have yet ever to use a mouse guard.

 

[Curly green finger's]

You could do this, I haven't tried it yet.
I like to have my entrances 9mm x 100m.

 

[Erichalfbee]

When I used mouseguards I had a go at the panel pin thing. I used frame pins. Worked very well. As for reducing the entrance to reduce droughts it makes not a jot of difference if you have a nearly 18 inch square of mesh as a floor.

 

[gwt_uk]

When I used mouseguards I had a go at the panel pin thing. I used frame pins. Worked very well. As for reducing the entrance to reduce droughts it makes not a jot of difference if you have a nearly 18 inch square of mesh as a floor.

Yes good point

 

[enrico]

The main thing is you need a gap at floor level for them to clear debris. So.....don't turn your entrance reducer upside down.

 

[hemo]

Yes the panel pin type is documented in Hoppers book and does the job, anything is better then having to faff each year with multiple entrance's on hives.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

View attachment 28571
You could do this, I haven't tried it yet.

well that's pretty rubbish advice - what comic did you find that in?
mouseguards and entrance blocks is a surefire recipe for disaster

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

yes, entrancd block needs to be removed, otherwise there's a chance bees could pile up and block the reduced entrance space

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hardly a mouse guard though is it panel pins?

well that's pretty rubbish advice - what comic did you find that in?
mouseguards and entrance blocks is a surefire recipe for disaster

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hardly a mouse guard though is it panel pins?

I'm talking about the initial piece of 'advice'

 

[Curly green finger's]

You could do this, I haven't tried it yet.
I like to have my entrances 9mm x 100m..
Well my entrances are like the above and smaller never had issues with build up of dead bees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

we are talking of mouseguards AND reduced entrances - not whatever you do with your bees.
A standard 'off the shelf' mouseguard needs a full width open entrance to ensure that not all the narrow passageways ever get blocked by dead bees. I don't need to fiddle around with entrances as they are either UFE's or bee height open entrances(regardless of width)

 

[victor meldrew]

You could do this, I haven't tried it yet.
I like to have my entrances 9mm x 100m..
Well my entrances are like the above and smaller never had issues with build up of dead bees.

I use underfloor entrances
. Open full width, no probs with dead bees they just get posted down the slot

 

[Jules59]

Tried several ways to attach the mouse guards - but this way the entrance sliders till work properly.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I use underfloor entrances
. Open full width, no probs with dead bees they just get posted down the slot

Yet to try them, I'm stuck on just using and making normal floors with landing boards.
I feel they would restrict your observations of the entrance from a few metres.

 

[victor meldrew]

Yet to try them, I'm stuck on just using and making normal floors with landing boards.
I feel they would restrict your observations of the entrance from a few metres.

Not at all . I use landing boards . The bees use them then walk up the slight incline before making the climb up the slot which leads into the brood box at the third frame .

 

[victor meldrew]

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hardly a mouse guard though is it panel pins?

If you place those pins a bee space apart then it’s a mouse guard. Worked pretty well for me till I discovered UFE