I meet the &^%$*(& might mouse this year

[firetool]

:evil: I have been told that the best lessons learned are the hard ones.I learned first hand about mice.  I had a hive that was weaker and struggling going into winter.I did not put any kind of mice guard on the hives. When I did my fisrt inspection last week the weak hive was dead and had some unwelcome guest in it. They did not get out of that hive.  I could not believe the damage though. They completly eat up six out of ten frames.  I would like to know any ideas that would work to keep out the mice that is cheap but effective.


 I also had a stronger hive that a mice tried to get into but I found it dead under the hive top.

   
Brian Nall

[DBoire]

I use hardware cloth, a roll is cheap.  Cut to 4" X width of hive entrance or better make two at 3/4 entrance width and overlap.  That way you can get a tighter fit without messing about for an exact cut fit with each hive.  Fold lengthwise and staple in place.   I'm not sure of the exact size, perhaps 3/8" hardware cloth.

[TwT]

1/4 inch hardware cloth is the cheapest and easiest to come by, all I use this year was entrance reducers with the 1 inch opening and had no problems but my hives are from 12"-22" inches off the ground also.

[bassman1977]

This is the best you can go.  Metal mouse guards which also make great entrance reducers.  Considering the cost of a hive, this is small potatoes cost wise.

http://www.dadant.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=212

[Andrew Tyzack]

http://www.bbka.org.uk/freefiles/diy_open_mesh_floor-graham-white.pdf

You could try the above plans for an open mesh floor design, which has an 3/8" wide 'underfloor entrance'. So no need for mouse guards at all.

Andrew

[mat]

Andrew this underfloor entrance is great, I am swiching to it this year. You can see them the video in http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewforum.php?f=45. I wondered whot were those big front openings for . Now I know.

[firetool]

I was looking but did not see,Is there a way to close it up during the winter to conserve heat in the hive?

Brian