So, I plan to harvest on Saturday, so I put on my triangle escape boards, to give the bees time to leave. I decided to give them a check, and found the supers nearly deserted...except for about two hundred drones! They didn't seem to be able to (or want to) go out through the slots in the escape board. So I went through and shook them off outside the hive. Does anyone else have this problem? I found about 5 workers in there, that's it. Looks like the boards work really well, except for the drones.
Quote from: Moonshae on June 26, 2008, 08:54:07 PM
So, I plan to harvest on Saturday, so I put on my triangle escape boards, to give the bees time to leave. I decided to give them a check, and found the supers nearly deserted...except for about two hundred drones! They didn't seem to be able to (or want to) go out through the slots in the escape board. So I went through and shook them off outside the hive. Does anyone else have this problem? I found about 5 workers in there, that's it. Looks like the boards work really well, except for the drones.
I just purchased one of those triangle escape boards and was wondering how well they worked. It sounds good, except for those drones. I Haven't had the luck to use one yet. (no honey to extract) Have fun on Saturday.
I've been thinking about making some for myself. Are the access points too small for drones or screen and board too close? Do you know what the measurements are? Who did you get them from?
For some plans go to;
www.dave-cushman.net/Bee/newhome.html
Look for Quebec Triangle escape & double Quebec escape
He shows 9mm gaps = 5/16 in. or the thickness of a round pencil loosely fitted.
Lots of Bee info. on his site well worth checking outs, lots of ideas etc.
Bee-Bop
Drone are not the brightest bees. I usually harvest in the Fall, and drone population is decreased then, so I never had much of a problem with them. Drones are very light sensitive, so if you but an escape board on top with either shims or a vent box, I bet the light would coax them out. In fact, come to think of it, I use a night light on top of an escape board to expedite clearing of bees from stacks of supers. One night and they are empty, perhaps that is why I never noticed the drones lingering behind. :roll:
Quote from: qa33010 on June 27, 2008, 01:51:48 AM
I've been thinking about making some for myself. Are the access points too small for drones or screen and board too close? Do you know what the measurements are? Who did you get them from?
Honestly, I think they can fit. It looked like they just didn't want to. I watched them try, but when it narrowed down, I guess it was beneath them to squeeze out.
I guess it doesn't really matter...they don't sting, so they're easy to brush off, and since they won't feed themselves, they aren't going to start ripping open caps when they get hungry.