Does anybody have any experience or opinion on them? I just read recently somewhere about how the bees really do not like these and of course this is what I have ordered for my hive. Should I have got wood instead?
I have used them without any problems.
justgojumpit
I use them and love them. I use mine by placing them sideways. Leaves an area that the bees can use, yet keeps the queen from passing. Slick trick, that eliminates all those commets of "My bees will not go through the excluder"... :-D
I have plastic and metal. I like the metal better. Mostly because I can remove them more easily and they don't seem to get waxed in as easily. You have to be real careful when removing the plastic otherwise it might spring up/loose and then the bees get mad. Also, mine don't stay flat but are wavy. I doubt I will buy anymore plastic.
I have both and both work. The only thing I have noticed is that the bees seem to glue the spaces a little more with the plastic.
Actually I have had a couple diff type plastic. A dew years ago I had a few plastic with round holes and I threw them as far out into the field and plowed them under. The ones with the rectangle spaces seem to work fine other than occasional glueing.
I used them, but after a few years they became so warped that part of them were against the frames and got glued to them. Maybe, I wasn't storing them correctly, but I'll never buy or use plastic ones again.
The metal one's last. The plastic ones do not.
Sincerely,
Brendhan