Lots of good ideas coming through.  One I haven't seen yet is to use cheap 
roofing shingles in front of the hive to keep weeds down.  Another is 
concrete blocks under hives to get them up high enough for us graybeards to 
lift off supers with less strain on the back.
A lenth of 1/4" dowel with a 4" by 1/2" strip of cooper or galvanized metal 
attached to one end makes a good tool for sweeping any dead bees off the 
bottom board in winter.  Also a strip of 1/2" hardware cloth across the 
hive entrance will keep the mice out.  Howard 

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