wbc entrance blocks

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RoseCottage

Field Bee
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
718
Reaction score
0
Location
Near Andover, UK
Hive Type
WBC
Number of Hives
From 5 to 2 and hopefully a better year
Having a mad moment here at home...its age I'm afraid ....
Cannot remember what I did last year...

When I close the girls up for winter, and I guess that this is likely in the next couple of weeks, should I close the entrance fully or just one half and leave the block in the other side but with only the reduced holes ?

All the best,
Sam...I think..:cool:
 
Hi Sam - not sure what sort of blocks you have but my WBC came with two slidy things like
t-16228-82-02.jpeg


Jut put these across the entrance with the gaps in the middle so the bees can walk in and out at their leisure. No need to block up any of the entrance beyond that
 
I had to make those sliders myself, I'll close mine down to about 2" unless any better advice comes along, (with mouse guard on)
 
Hi my sliders don't have notches. If they do can you just slide them tightly together and forget mouse guard? If so I may drill some holes in mine. What is a bee-sized drill bit? And just in case it all goes horribly wrong and my slides become kindling...where can I buy the notched slides. Thanks Clare
 
Hi my sliders don't have notches. If they do can you just slide them tightly together and forget mouse guard? If so I may drill some holes in mine. What is a bee-sized drill bit? And just in case it all goes horribly wrong and my slides become kindling...where can I buy the notched slides. Thanks Clare

Available at Thornes, Paynes and most other suppliers for a couple of quid - dont know if they are all the same depth (though suspect they will be) so if possible get them from wherever supplied your hive.

Personally not bothering with mouseguard as it would have to be a pretty small mouse to get through those.
 
I have WBC- I have removed entrance block totally and fitted mouseguard. Those tiny slots can be blocked by dead bees over winter and they can get stuck in the hive- they dont do as much housekeeping and the mortality is higher.
2" - a nice mouse entrance! And a mouseguard over that could become blocked with debris.
 
I have WBC- I have removed entrance block totally and fitted mouseguard. Those tiny slots can be blocked by dead bees over winter and they can get stuck in the hive- they dont do as much housekeeping and the mortality is higher.

Thanks for the headsup on that Heather, prehaps I'll get a normal mouseguard
 
Being on OMFs, I leave up to the full hive width as mouseguard - very unlikely for all to get blocked and a quick check with a bent wire or similar is in order. Never had a real problem as long as about 50% or more.

Dartingtons have an 8mm wide vertical entrance about 60mm deep; I make a right angle corner below the slot about 8mm (or a little less) wide with an apprporiate length od wood. Never had any mouse damage yet, but none in other hives either, for that matter. The entrance slot is remote from the cluster by about 200mm, so is unlikely to get blocked by falling bees.

Mice are rarely a problem, but when they are it is often a complete disaster for the colony. Again an example where the small cost of mouse protection far outweighs the potential cost of the colony enclosed and of the frames/comb/stores spoiled. So no contest in fittting some form of protection - simple insurance really.

An analogy might be continually leaving one's front door ajar and being surprised when eventually a thief takes advantage of one's stupidity.

Regards, RAB
 
I have WBC- I have removed entrance block totally and fitted mouseguard. Those tiny slots can be blocked by dead bees over winter and they can get stuck in the hive- they dont do as much housekeeping and the mortality is higher.
2" - a nice mouse entrance! And a mouseguard over that could become blocked with debris.


Ok, Thanks.

Since I don't have OMF, I'll just open the entrance and fit the mouse guard.
 
Hi

I have 2 WBC hives, both with 2 sliding notched entrance blocks. They are slightly different as the hives are from different manufacturers.

Please could I have some advice on how best to use them and whether im correct in my assumptions , in particular ...


The notches are on one side, so sliding them together will leave a row of small bee size holes holes - for winter maybe ?

If I invert them them the hive is closed up except for a single hole where the
sliders meet - for robbing prevention maybe ?

Do you remove them completely during the height of summer?

Thanking you all in advance.
 
wow that confused me for a while! shutting up for winter in the next couple of weeks!!! :eek:

then I realised that the original post was from October 2010 :smilielol5:
 
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