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  • Bee Hive building & a place to share howto's on equipment
Bee Hive building & a place to share howto's on equipment
 #8888  by Alfred
 16 Sep 2020, 21:14
I have an elderly slotted metal qx that leaked a slinky little minx into the super.
Looking closely ( bit late now) it appears to have been peeled off 'across the grain',and become distorted .
My guess is the newborn drones were too fat and stupid to find their way out and tucked into the stash- nothing left.
Anyway I'm scrapping it but couldn't I cut it up for mouseguards?
 #8889  by Patrick
 16 Sep 2020, 21:35
It’s an occupational hazard with those slotted steel QX’s - especially if left on a while, they get well stuck down and inevitably take a bit of removing.

Good idea, can’t see why not. They won’t be on when either drones or Queenie will be using the entrance.

Talking of recycling, my stack of English feeders got trashed (it’s a long story) and a couple of the inside cups were lost. After experimenting with flower pots and cut down flapjack pots, family size clear trifle containers proved the right height and width.

Another good reason to eat trifle.
 #8890  by AndrewLD
 17 Sep 2020, 07:55
I wouldn't use it as a mouseguard; even if there are no drones it's a lot narrower gap than a mouseguard (typically 6.5mm) on the small entrance ones) - aren't you risking that they lose pollen at a time when forager numbers are down?

Patrick - bees can walk on plastic when their feet are dry but I have lost bees that had gone in the syrup and couldn't get out with wet feet - until I scored the inside of the cup's roof - no more losses :)
 #8892  by Patrick
 17 Sep 2020, 09:03
Interesting point regarding the potential pollen issue. Would be good experiment to see if it really is a thing. I haven’t used mouseguards myself for a few years but when I did I never actually saw brushed off pollen baskets below the entrances. Maybe they got cleaned up by ants etc. I have certainly had arcs of pollen stored in the first super on many occasions so presumably it can get through qxs, albeit I usually use wired qx’s.

Also good point re smooth plastic surface of my trifle pot. The surface of the feeder access cones are quite rough as they have residual wax from cleaning cappings, but I know what you mean. I will report back. A whizz over with sandpaper might remedy it if it’s an issue.