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Thread: Mouseguards

  1. #1

    Default Mouseguards

    Can anyone tell me when perforated metal strip mouse guards should be removed.

  2. #2
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    I tend to remove them from about now. The colonies are starting to expand so should be capable of dealing with any potential intruders and removing the guards makes it easier for them to come and go. I tend to find that the guards accumulate dead bees over the course of winter so as I remove them, if I'm not going into the hives themselves I try to make sure that the entrances are clear. Over time the bees will sort themselves out, but I like to just make sure that the entrances aren't blocked.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    Mine came off a couple of weeks ago; once bees were starting to fly well.

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    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    I never got around to putting mine on this year. I did have a bit of comb nibbled in one colony but the bees are fine.
    A mouse got into an apidea in November and chewed the comb to pieces.
    It was so mild here this winter that the bees barely clustered so I reckon any mouse would have had a hard time.

  5. #5
    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Took mine off about 45 min ago.

    Plenty of mice in the orchard so bee bees definitely need them - except those with entrance reducers.

  6. #6

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    Hey ho !
    time to put the mouse guards back on ?
    Usual mixture of panel pins driven into the existing entrance as recommended by Ron Brown
    and perforated steel as recommended by nobody (don't like much but they work)
    amI too early this year 73% humidity 15.3C as I type this

  7. #7
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    Try not to use them at all ... I use those Dartington-style underfloor entrances on most hives. The right angled 8mm 'slot' is impassable by mice and easily defended against wasps. 15-16C here as well and they're packing the pollen in ... a fantastic site, with ~50% of returning foragers heavily laden with bright yellow saddlebags.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    Too early DR. My bees are still bringing in masses of pollen and the mouse guards knock it off.
    I wait till the first cold spell if I bother at all.
    The mice are easy to deal with. If you get a rat starting to chew its way in that's a bigger problem.
    The rats had a go at a couple of apideas last winter and I had the entrances widened on a couple of my correx boxes.

  9. #9
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    I wait until the first frosts; bees are very active just now and there's lots of ivy and fuchsia for them. It would be a very brave mouse that went anywhere near the girls just now! It'll be interesting to see how the polynucs fare, though, as it's our first winter with them and our mice have very strong gnashers!

  10. #10

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    I was surprised how warm it was today
    some folks say only put mouse guards on when you don't have to avoid guard bees
    There might be better entrances than I use like fatshark describes I haven't seen those

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