J.I. wrote
 
>Point One. The best and cheapest quick reference around, for
 queens!
>
>Point Two.  Mouse excluders are a waste of time. In my 37
>years of consecutive beekeeping, I have never used one.
>The standard bottom board has two sides, a deep and a
>shallow. I run the shallow side up year round.  If my little
>finger can't fit into the opening, nor will a mouse.
>Those who run the deep side up must use excluders to keep
>the mice out: they have to buy them, install them in the fall
>(sometime sealing the mouse in!) and then remove them in the
>spring: a waste of time, money, energy.
>
>John Iannuzzi
>Publisher of the Truth
>March 18, 1997 2105 <b-list>
>
>email: <[log in to unmask]>
>url: <http://www.xmetric.com/honey>
>
>
>###john iannuzzi phd
>   ###beekeeper 37 years
>      ###14 colonies w/ paisano honeybees
>         ###historic ellicott city md usa (10 mi W balto)
>            ###guardian of "singing masons building roofs of gold"
>               ###URL -  http://www.xmetric.com/honey
>                  ###email: [log in to unmask] [3fe972200]
>
 
The above advise regarding mouse guards may be supportable in lots of
locations, however, in most of Canada, in Alaska ond some of the
northernmost states there exist a small fellow by the name of:
PIGMY SHREW or in latin  Musarigne Pygmee which happens to be the
smallest mammal in the new world. This animal will go through a
regular entrance reducer and will cause that colony to die.
 
This little bugger cost me a few colonies the first couple of years
after I arrived at my present location. To avoid this catastrophy
I nail finishing nails in the entrancereducer with 1 bee space between
each nail and 1 extra in each end.
 
When this fellow gets into the hive he attacks the bees as opposed to
mice which is mostly are after the honey. Attacking the bees makes
them break the cluster in the middle of the winter, they manage to
kill the shrew, but do not manage to recluster fast enough to avoid
death.
 
Apparenly this animal is not common and very little is known about it,
its habits and habitat requirements but it is suggested that it is
found in glade like settings in or bordering to forests, in any event
they are quite common where I keep my bees.
 
 
Viktor in Hawkesbury, Ont.  where spring is supposed to arrive to day,
but my 4 colonies are standing in 3 feet of snow so they won't know.