Mice Guard Entrance Mesh

Modifications & Building Bee Hives
21

Thanks Lorne! According to the article, drones would have trouble getting through anything less than 5.4mm. I’m wondering why the flow hive entrance is so tight? If I use an entrance reducer, I’d have to be careful to position it at the more open end, wouldn’t I?

22

I didn’t measure the flow entrance from the inside (and now that the hive has bees in it, I won’t be able to easily measure it). But… when I measured the entrance from the outside, the entrance was plenty big enough, enough to not cause any worry about the size of the entrance from the other side of it. I don’t remember the actual dimensions, but, I can tell you with certainty that the metal entrance reducer I use has holes big enough for drones and those holes are about 80% of the size of the entrance opening (see photo for an idea of what I am referring too). I doubt the 2.5 degree slope for <1" wall of the brood box is enough to shrink the opening enough to matter. Once the bees are past the wall of the brood box, they can fly up.

So… I think there are 3 possibilities:

  • I am not understanding your problem, maybe post a picture to help explain better
  • Your hive was not manufactured properly
  • There was a mistake in your measurements or something similar
23

Good idea to send some photos. Uploading now. :slight_smile:

IMG_20160415_111529.jpg3264×2448 1.95 MB
IMG_20160415_111410.jpg3264×2448 1.94 MB

24

One entrance height reduces to 6mm, the other to 5 mm.

25

Well… at least one of us is bonkers :smile:. I am reading that as the first side is 10mm and the other side is 11mm. You are getting roughly half of my numbers. I vote myself as bonkers, but, let us discuss.

1 Like
26

Duh, you’re right. That was pretty silly of me! :confused: Thanks for pointing it out. Of course, now it all makes a lot more sense.

27

I guess we are both bonkers! Welcome to the club!

1 Like
28

Ha ha, thanks for taking it light heartedly. I think it was a matter of seeing what I wanted to see.

1 Like
29

@Dawn_SD I believe them! A mouse can get through the tiniest of holes. I once watched a mouse get through a hole in drywall about 8mm-10mm and try to drag a chicken wishbone back through . The mouse could fit but the bone wouldn’t. If they can poke their head through a hole- they can squeeze their bodies through too. Even if they appear to be significantly larger then the hole: shave the fur off and you will see how tiny they really are. Mice don’t have collar bones!