Problems With Mouse Guard Or Entrance Reducer On All Year Round?

[Alklar20]

Would there be any problems with keeping a mouse guard or an entrance reducer on a hive all year round?

[.30WCF]

It may slow down honey production and pollen gathering some. I am only in my second year, but left my reducers on the 3?+\- size entrance all summer.
The problem was I went out to do my second round of my late late summer/fall OA treatment today and found a hive that I left the entrance blocked on all week from last weeks treatment. Had a few dead bees in the bottom, but no worse for the wear.

[Robo]

Would there be any problems with keeping a mouse guard or an entrance reducer on a hive all year round?

Depending on what you are using for a mouse guard (big enough not to get clogged) it shouldn't be.  All my hives have a 6" x 3/8" entrance with 1/2" x 1" hardware cloth over it year round.

[cao]

Most of my hives have a 3" x 3/8" entrance.  The largest entrance is about 3/4" x 4".  Nucs are 3/8" x 2".

[Oldbeavo]

Go for long and narrow for the entrance, you could be 9" x 1/4" and the mouse wont get in but the bees will move Ok.

Mice tend not to be an issue in strong hives, we  only find mouse damage if the bee numbers drop.

[Michael Bush]

A lot of mouse guards cause bees to lose pollen on the way in.  Their leg catches on the opening and out pops the pollen and it builds up there at the door.

[Michael Bush]

The bees have no trouble getting through it, but if it is a wire that they leg can brush it often pops the pollen out.

[Oldbeavo]

It will knock off some pollen, they may regather it from the landing board.
My partner gathered some pollen for her own use and had it in an open container, only to later find the bees regarthering it. It was about half gone.

[Michael Bush]

They will gather it from a container.  But I've never seen them pick it up from the floor or off the entrance.