This weekend I am taking off the supers. The hives are very heavy with brood and capped honey so I think I am good shape for the winter.
When do people in the northeast put on mouse guards? It is starting to get down to the lower 50's and even the upper forties at night, but 70-80's in the day. How about reducers for the bottom board? I seem to time the guards placement wrong and have chased out a few mice over the years.
Thanks
Mouse guards can be left on all year around if you like. But as the leaves fall the mice begin to seek more sheltered quarters. I've caught three mice in the live trap in my chicken pen this week alone--and no, they were not blind. simply tacking up 1/4 or 3/8 hardware cloth works well.
I usually don't bother putting the entrance reducer on until the bees slow down a lot or the first frost which ever comes first.
I was wondering the same thing. Here in Maryland the leaves on the fruit trees near my hives have started to fall off probably more from the hot and humid weather we had over the past two months. Was thinking of putting mouse guards on beginning of Sept. I run a screened bottom board and was planning on so I guess the reducer would be pointless. I made the stand out of metal with a single post in the ground with a moat about 8 inches off ground filled with oil and don't know that a guard at entrance would be needed but could not hurt.
I would definitely shoot for before the nights get frosty. When they start to dip into the 40s F is probably a good idea.