# How do you foks keep mice out of your hives?



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I hate mice. They are dirty, foul creatures and they flat out ruin hives. They sneak in during the winter time, and by spring the hive will be dead.

Seeing as how opening the hive too often during the winter will let the heat escape, how do you keep them out? Do you use an entrance reducer? Because the year that I tried that the mouse shoved it out of the way, and foolish me thought it was the wind from the storm that had just passed and so I just put it back. 

Nope. I lost that hive.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I need to know this also a friend of mine has a toothshaped cover that fits over the opening that has slots in it only big enough for workers to fit has any one else come up with an idea


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I almost never have problems with mice (knock on wood) and I think it is because my hives are well up above the ground. When I had bees in Missouri and my hives set on bricks on the ground I did have trouble with mice. I place my hives up on stands like this to keep the fireants out of them. There are special mouse guard entrances for sale at most beekeeping suppliers. 

Here are how mine are set up.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I made mouse guards out of 1/4 hardware cloth. The picture is one of the early ones which I removed in the spring. Then I got tired of placing them on in the fall and off in the spring so I just left a 6" opening year around and leave the guards in place.
The green disk to make the screw heads bigger don't last long in the sun, I cut square ones from tin can lids and the cans them selves for the full time ones.



 Al


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## WildPrGardens (Mar 8, 2014)

One of the main guys in our local club cuts 3/8" plywood 3 to 3.5" wide, as long as the reducer, adds a cleat on each end to bring it up to the bottom of the box and slids it in.
Mice can get thru 1/2" but not 3/8".
The bees have no trouble keeping the hive clean with 3/8".
They can get the drones out in the fall so you can put them on when you pull the honey and beat the early cold drops that drive the mice in.

The 3" width keeps the cold winds from blowing up in the frames.
Many of the members that have adopted this have left them on year round with no apparent drop in production.

Most of the factory bottom boards are reversable.
3/4" on one side and 3/8" on the other.
The idea is you go thru every hive and lift them off, flip the bottom board over to the 3/8" side in preparation for winter, then in the spring flip them back.

Homemade bottoms often aren't that fancy and beeks don't want to spend that much time and effort and disturbance of the hive.


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## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

TxMex those fireants must be sissys, the ants around here would be in those hives in a heartbeat.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

TxMex said:


> I almost never have problems with mice (knock on wood) and I think it is because my hives are well up above the ground. When I had bees in Missouri and my hives set on bricks on the ground I did have trouble with mice. I place my hives up on stands like this to keep the fireants out of them. There are special mouse guard entrances for sale at most beekeeping suppliers.
> 
> Here are how mine are set up.


 Direct TV for your bees! Cool!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

No work gets done while the soaps are on.

 Al


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