No Mice Welcomed Here!

Our days are still mild but our overnight temps have been quite cool. I'm sure there are more than a few field mice that would love to curl up for a long winter's nap in a nice warm hive so it was time to put the mouse guards in place.

The best advice I got as a new beekeeper is that you don't have to spend a lot of money on do-dads and stuff. There are nice mouse guards on the market but I employ this simple guard made from a length of hardware cloth, folded loosely in half along the length and stuffed in the opening. It is naturally springy so the tension keeps it in place.

Last year I was able to keep the top feeders on until Veteran's Day but with the temps some nights near freezing I have stopped feeding. I'm beginning to see dead bees outside the hives. A sure sign of winter coming!