When mouseguards?

[BBG]

presume they can squeeze through a short length of reduced height but not a longer passage - their bits and bobs (technical scientific term, note) need to go somewhere (think gok wan - or ideal world presenters - squeezing those well built lassies into hideous control garments).

Is this an underlying foible we are seeing revealed.

Mice can get through hole size of a pencil I'm told

 

[Erichalfbee]

Get full width mouse-guards

Use strongish scissors to trim to fit like the entrance reducer does, with a right angle each end.

Fit mouse-guard

Put entrance reducer (right way up!) in with mouse-guard behind it and voila!

Ensure entrance is reduced and for this buy the green garden kneelers at a £1 a time from cheap shops and trim.
For hives, a snug fit is achieved by trimming an inch wide and stuffing in.
For nuclei trim a fair bit wider and stuff in - experimentation necessary!

As mouse-guard reduces entrance too, have regard to amount of to-ing and fro-ing.

Hope that helps.

Thanks BBG
I have spare entrance reducers so for wasps I have had them in upside down (as in closed) with 2/3 beespace cut out at one end. I wonder whether that would do?

 

[drstitson]

"I have spare entrance reducers so for wasps I have had them in upside down (as in closed) with 2/3 beespace cut out at one end. I wonder whether that would do?"

Ha - i have one with a tight single beespace at one end - only found out once bees where in the van - luckily always wrap hives in large mozzie nets so no harm apart from a couple of cups of dead bees next day.

 

[Erichalfbee]

"I have spare entrance reducers so for wasps I have had them in upside down (as in closed) with 2/3 beespace cut out at one end. I wonder whether that would do?"

Ha - i have one with a tight single beespace at one end - only found out once bees where in the van - luckily always wrap hives in large mozzie nets so no harm apart from a couple of cups of dead bees next day.

Yes that's the way mine came. You have to shuffle them about so you get half a space each side.
Those plastic pieces feel really precarious. Good job you wrapped the boxes!

 

[drstitson]

"Yes that's the way mine came. You have to shuffle them about so you get half a space each side. Those plastic pieces feel really precarious."

my nuc ones are all fine - just a problem with one full sized one.

i always stick a bit of tape over the piece OR use a couple of plastic topped notice board pins at the top.

Given the way they come (apparently just sawn off a long extruded piece) i like to think Rooftops passed on the business solely to avoid anymore hacksaw grazes to his fingers and is now sat in Totnes smug in the knowledge that Hannah will be spending her winter evenings trimming bits down to size.

 

[BBG]

Thanks BBG
I have spare entrance reducers so for wasps I have had them in upside down (as in closed) with 2/3 beespace cut out at one end. I wonder whether that would do?

That is not the function of them. How will you close the entrances in future. Ahh! Apologies, didn't read on ..........

Get the green kneelers from garden centres and cut them to fit in entrances for reducing the width then follow wot I rote!

You can use said kneelers to reduce entrance widths as much as you like.

 

[Poly Hive]

I am putting mine on now. found a mouse alive in a nuc today.

They can get through a "slot" of 8mm, but NOT a hole.

PH

 

[bluesman]

You are right i agree -dont under estimate mice especially 'pigmy' they have been known to beable to colapse the skull and go through a empty biro (pen) !

 

[Hivemaker.]

You are right i agree -dont under estimate mice especially 'pigmy' they have been known to beable to colapse the skull and go through a empty biro (pen) !

Not much hope of anything working with them around then,short of shutting the bees in completely.

 

[Polyanwood]

I was going to put mine on until I saw that the wasps were still hanging around. I am not taking the entrance blocks out and putting the mouseguards on until the wasps have gone.

I have had mice in hives before. Bees badly damaged. Strongly recommend people do bother with them.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

You are right i agree -dont under estimate mice !

I started my petrol lawnmower up the other day and 3 mangled half-dead mice came flying out.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Just remembered a tip from our SBI - he recommended putting a peice of galvanised sheeting (corrugated iron) on the ground on front of the hive. This is done on the basis that it will stop undergrowth growing around the hive and will provide an alternative place for the mice to live.
Disclaimer: I've never tried it - it might just attract mice who look up at your nice warm hive and think "I'd rather be in there"