# Boy was i wrong!



## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Mouse guard on ?


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## Beeonefarms (Nov 22, 2013)

To stop more mice from getting in and to halt the easy escape of the one currently inside from getting out....


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## biggraham610 (Jun 26, 2013)

I heard someone I think Mark from sqeakcreek said something about tilting the hive and the mouse will come out. Cant remember what thread. Good luck. G


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## AL from Georgia (Jul 14, 2014)

How about sliding a good ole mouse trap into the hive and try to catch the varmint? I have never tried this, it just seems like it may work.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

AL from Georgia said:


> How about sliding a good ole mouse trap into the hive and try to catch the varmint? I have never tried this, it just seems like it may work.




you got 4 inches of free space under your comb?.


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## AL from Georgia (Jul 14, 2014)

Good point, my brain is not completely awake yet this morning.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

hex0rz said:


> Definitely doing all upper entrances this year!


You do know that mice can climb, right?

Tilt your hive back and stick your hive tool up between the frames and the mouse will run out. Put the hive back on the stand and install the guard.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

biggraham610 said:


> I heard someone I think Mark from sqeakcreek said something about tilting the hive and the mouse will come out.


Good memory  See Mark's post #9

http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...at&p=1207997&highlight=mouse+tilt#post1207997


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> Good memory  See Mark's post #9
> 
> http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...at&p=1207997&highlight=mouse+tilt#post1207997


Not to mention Post #8 in this very Thread.


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## gfbees13 (Sep 25, 2014)

If you modify an old wire coat hanger and sweep it under the board, the mouse should vacate the hive. Then, kill that sucker! (Any way you want) opcorn:


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

I figured it had to be something with four legs  If you do get it to run out (& even if you do not), I would lift up the hive (may need help for this) and exchange bottom boards. This would be the start to getting the bedding and feces out. However, it has most likely eaten chunks of comb and brought bedding in that is "stuck" between frames. Mouse guards, mouse guards, mouse guards, which are not the same as wooden entrance reducers, mice can still get through , even if you don't have/or haven't seen mites, I mean mouses :lpf:


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## hex0rz (Jan 14, 2014)

Well guys, i want quick enough too kill them,but they're out! I had 2in one hive! 😣

Tried to do what was recommended but didn't have help. So i lifted the whole hive off the bottom board and set it down next to it on the stand. Then banged the hive some and they came scurrying right out!

Shook all the debris off the bottom board and then struggled to get the boxes back on. Holy crap.

I'm still trying to figure out how i even got the boxes off...

I looked at the hive from the bottom and it doesn't look like they had enough time to do much damage. Looks like they only chewed a few frames up and was not able to make any sort of nest.

Well,I'm sure i ticked the bees off, but atleast i didn't break you their cluster!

I gotta tell ya, I've got 6 more nucs on order for this spring and this year has been one heck of a learning curve! I wonder if everyone else experienced this much their first year?

Nonetheless, this is not going to stop me from doing beekeeping! Just have to adapt and overcome! 😀


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## green2btree (Sep 9, 2010)

The learning curve is really steep, even when you read as much as you can. I had a year when I put the mouse guards on too late, and I had a few hives with trapped mice. What a mess!

JC


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## frustrateddrone (Jan 31, 2015)

I am a newb on here. I spent $137.15 on black pipe to build a bee stand. I did it mainly for ants. I saw on YouTube a metal stand that had PVC caps that was greased and the legs greased to prevent ants and I suspected mice too since it's off the ground. Reading this post I am glad I did fork out some massive expense on the stand. 
I live in Central Texas (USA). We have native ants, and fire ants on my land that I know of, so seeing black pipe for a stand was nice. I guess it is a justification in the massive price just for a stand.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Welcome to Bee Source, frustrateddrone!

Mine, what an expensive hive stand you have there. It is better than having the ants kill off
your hive, I guess. I made mine out of 2x4s and with 4 black plastic noodle cups flipped upside down 
with hi-temp grease inside to protect the hive. It works so far. No ants or mice.


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

fieldsofnaturalhoney said:


> Mouse guards, mouse guards, mouse guards, which are *not the same as wooden entrance reducers*, mice can still get through


Got that right...for the first time, I've found a wooden reducer that has been chewed to make a hole big enough for a mouse to get through. I know it's probably in there but it's been far too cold to take the hive apart. Might try just removing the reducer and using the hangar trick if it gets far enough above zero, and the little pest hasn't climbed.


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## hex0rz (Jan 14, 2014)

Had the reducers in, went to check the hives again, tonight. Noticed the inevitable had happened, again! Reducer hole chewed to a larger size! GAAHH!

So in fear of having more mice in the hive once again, I have achieved the unthinkable! Once again, took the hive in whole off the bottom board and rested it on top of the stand. Took a look under the hive and looked up into the frames. I did not see any mice but know they WERE there. Had more chewed up bees and some poop on the bottom board.

Shook that off lifted the whole thing back onto the board. I repeated this with my 2 other hives and did not see any mice. The first hive experience the extent of the damage and looked to have approx. 8 frames with some sort of damage to them. In all hives, I was able to see the clusters and counted 3-5 sides of frames with bees on them.

I must admit, without risking breaking the cluster, it sure was nice to see the ladies again! It was a cool way of getting to see them when it is still cold out. Hopefully, I will not have to repeat this procedure again! But, out of necessity, I had to do what I felt was needed to ensure that there were no mice currently present.

So yes, another foul ball for me and now I have 1/4" hardware cloth on the bottom entrance to allow ventilation and keep the mice out! There is still a top entrance but its about the same size or slightly larger than a 1/4". If the bees need out, that's how its gonna happen!

I think winter has been a more worse time for my beekeeping experience than going through the warmer days!


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## gfbees13 (Sep 25, 2014)

You need a mouse guard! http://www.mannlakeltd.com/mm5/merc...nnlake&Screen=SRCH&sType=1&Search=mouse+guard And maybe a hive stand.


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

hex0rz said:


> ...I have achieved the unthinkable! Once again, took the hive in whole off the bottom board and rested it on top of the stand.


No way I can do that with 10-frame double deeps, with 3/4" insulation panels under corrugated plastic jackets. Even if there was something to grab, it would be far too heavy to lift. Have to just hope that the little bugger hasn't done too much damage, or that the girls were able to kill it at some point.


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

hex0rz said:


> So yes, another foul ball for me and now I have 1/4" hardware cloth on the bottom entrance to allow ventilation and keep the mice out! There is still a top entrance but its about the same size or slightly larger than a 1/4". If the bees need out, that's how its gonna happen!
> 
> I think winter has been a more worse time for my beekeeping experience than going through the warmer days!


All learning experiences though . I learned to keep mouse guards on all year in one particularly out yard after being terrorized this Summer (yes summer, mostly new hives just setting up shop), varying the number of entrance/exit holes for the Summer & Winter. These guards are actually metal sheetrock corners (thank you bee source member/s for the tip), they come in different sizes & lengths, but all already have the L shape. One can buy eight feet of it for three dollars and make numerous mouse guards with a little drilling and filing. I would also be cautious of foam insulation on the sides of the hives creating a ladder to your top entrance if it is unprotected and/or large enough for mice to begin chewing there way in


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