In reply to Mary Fisher ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...


Not a Bee keeper but...
They sell them to put round your Hostas etc so why not a copper band
around all entrances to a hive, that would keep all slugs and snails
out as they won't cross copper. How it would effect the bees I have
no idea but if it was far enough away from their landing spot they
shouldn't come in contact with it.

Bob, a beehive is about 18" square, it's usually on some kind of
stand to raise it off the ground. Sometimes the stand will
accommodate two or more hives. The entrance is usually on the front
face of the hive, at the bottom.
It would be impossible to stop slugs coming from underground, up the
stand, under the beehive floor and into the entrance, by using copper
strip or mesh. When copper is used for protecting plants it forms a
fairly small collar round the plant, that couldn't be done with a
beehive.
Copper could be tacked round the entrance but it would be a real faff
and simply not worth the trouble or cutting and nailing four pieces -
and to every hive!

To the OP - there are far worse things than slugs in a hive. Quite
apart from mice, moth and wasps there are much smaller enemies - one
day when you have time scrape some of the debris from the floor and
look at it under a magnifying glass. You'll see that it's heaving
with life. You'll probably find things like millipedes on the crown
board - they repulsed me when I first saw them but they do no harm. A
bird once got into one of my hives and built a nest before my spring
inspection. It's amazing how much life there is in a hive. Then there
are two legged enemies ... little boys seem to think they'll prove
their manhood by vandalising hives. There are also thieves - who are
other beekeepers.
Concentrate on keeping your hives dry - damp is the greatest enemy.
Cut long grass and weeds so that they don't impede the airflow
through the entrance - although there are some advantages in making
the entrance easier to defend.
If you haven't already you MUST join your local association, you'll
get varying and opposing information but at least it will be local
and there will be people who have had the same experiences as you.

Don't worry about slugs.

But, if you do, they won't climb up vaseline. You could vaseline the hive
legs.

I have discovered that they also won't climb up plastic water bottles. I
made lupin rings at the weekend by cutting a (2 litre) water bottle into
rings, about 4" long, and placing them round the lupins.

There were LOADS of slugs on Saturday night, and not one lupin has been
touched. So far so good ...