Mouse Guards-when to put on or not bother?

[Levitt53]

This is my second winter and I used mouse guards however I did get one through the top of the hive last winter. It ate most of the fondant and made a bit of a mess on the crown board. My fault as I'm crap at DIY and had made such a mess of making the roof so it wasn't sound. I was once told by a pest control guy that if you can get a bic pen in a hole then a mouse can get in but I don't think that applies to heigh and width at the same time or they would get through the mouse guards but I certainly wouldn't take the risk. When frosts are forecast then mine go on.

 

[Millet]

This is my second winter and I used mouse guards however I did get one through the top of the hive last winter. It ate most of the fondant and made a bit of a mess on the crown board. My fault as I'm crap at DIY and had made such a mess of making the roof so it wasn't sound. I was once told by a pest control guy that if you can get a bic pen in a hole then a mouse can get in but I don't think that applies to heigh and width at the same time or they would get through the mouse guards but I certainly wouldn't take the risk. When frosts are forecast then mine go on.

From past experiences and observations with mice and many other pests/vermin overs the years i find that very very difficult to believe impossible in fact, don't believe everything you are told as gospel, i have cleared many farms of problems where a fellow was named best pest controller in the county but he could not get on top of the problem, i did and i have more or less cleared the 600 acre farm of the problem in 2yrs.

This mouse topic came up not long ago and i give my tuppence worth from what i have seen with my own eyes (not read in a book) , Adult mice will not get through a hole 10mm in diameter, young half grown mice will try but many get stuck trying and i have found quite a few dead half way through the 10mm mesh on my aviaries, it is entirely up to you what you believe but that is the truth without any exaggerating stories to make me feel more important, its like the tale some old pestie folk spout if you have rats you do not get mice what a load of rubbish.

 

[Finman]

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Highly insulated trees and all without mouse fences....such dreaming...

But why almost all new colonies die during winter. And many during summer. The world would be full of bees if that does not happen.

 

[user 6228]

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Highly insulated trees and all without mouse fences....such dreaming...

But why almost all new colonies die during winter. And many during summer. The world would be full of bees if that does not happen.

still havent had a mouse in colony yet...

 

[Finman]

still havent had a mouse in colony yet...

But others have. To keep bees in tree trunk is over estimated mouse protection.

I have 10 mm entrance reducer gap and thats it.

And I do not know, what is highly insulated. Normal polyhive is good in -40C temp.

I get mouse into hive when I leave 20 mm high entrance open. So simple.


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[bontbee]

Once you've had a mouse overwinter in a hive, you'll know why they are used! I prefer the "portcullis" type, rather than the ones with round holes. I don't have many deep entrances any more, but have amended the remaining few entrance blocks by banging nails - well, gimp pins to be precise, - into them. Works a treat and very cheap!

 

[tomNY]

A mouse will fit in a 1/2 inch screen. I now use 3/8.
Don't know if you folks get a critter called a vole but last winter had them in 2 hives. They eat the heads of the bees. Had a carpet of headless bees in the spring, hive did survive but it's a bit freakish seeing all the headless bees. Had another brave mouse make a nest through the .5 inch screening and mouse lived in the first deep with the bees above, total mess in march.
The quick answer is how much time and expense is it to install a mouse guard. You can reuse the mouse guards each year.
As soon as I have to wear a long sleeve shirt. It's mouse guard time.
Good luck, don't be pound foolish and pennywise.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[Millet]

A mouse will fit in a 1/2 inch screen. I now use 3/8.
Don't know if you folks get a critter called a vole but last winter had them in 2 hives. They eat the heads of the bees. Had a carpet of headless bees in the spring, hive did survive but it's a bit freakish seeing all the headless bees. Had another brave mouse make a nest through the .5 inch screening and mouse lived in the first deep with the bees above, total mess in march.
The quick answer is how much time and expense is it to install a mouse guard. You can reuse the mouse guards each year.
As soon as I have to wear a long sleeve shirt. It's mouse guard time.
Good luck, don't be pound foolish and pennywise.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

We have several species of vole over here but there main food is vegetation and cereal crops and there heads are slightly bigger than mice.

 

[Finman]

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Mouse issue is clear. IT does not need much philosophy. Dimensions are good to know.

Last autumn I saw that in couple hives entrance reducer did not stay in its place. Gradually it cleared out, that the mouse can draw out the reducer. IT must be tight.

 

[enrico]

From past experiences and observations with mice and many other pests/vermin overs the years i find that very very difficult to believe impossible in fact, don't believe everything you are told as gospel, i have cleared many farms of problems where a fellow was named best pest controller in the county but he could not get on top of the problem, i did and i have more or less cleared the 600 acre farm of the problem in 2yrs.

This mouse topic came up not long ago and i give my tuppence worth from what i have seen with my own eyes (not read in a book) , Adult mice will not get through a hole 10mm in diameter, young half grown mice will try but many get stuck trying and i have found quite a few dead half way through the 10mm mesh on my aviaries, it is entirely up to you what you believe but that is the truth without any exaggerating stories to make me feel more important, its like the tale some old pestie folk spout if you have rats you do not get mice what a load of rubbish.

But surely the ones that didn't get trapped in the holes got through and you wouldn't know. You only caught the fat ones.

 

[user 6228]

But others have. To keep bees in tree trunk is over estimated mouse protection.

I have 10 mm entrance reducer gap and thats it.

And I do not know, what is highly insulated. Normal polyhive is good in -40C temp.

I get mouse into hive when I leave 20 mm high entrance open. So simple.


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but you drill holes half way up so yes you dont know what is highly insulated

 

[Millet]

But surely the ones that didn't get trapped in the holes got through and you wouldn't know. You only caught the fat ones.

Have a little think i can't be arsed to explain at the moment, been round my mates knecking hooch .. lol

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Entrance reducers with nails banged in giving <10mm entrances. Put on before first proper frost