They refused to go through the queen excluder!!

[annette]

Well some of you were correct. Just checked this morning again and found just a handful of bees walking around in the new super, while the rest were just peaking through the queen excluder. It was obvious they were not going through it, so I removed it. As was suggested, will wait until they do some work up there and make it part of their home, then I will place the excluder back on. Will check again in 3-4 days. I will definitely wait until they at least draw out wax combs and start placing something in the cells.


Thank you for all the input.

Annette

[tillie]

Annette,

I bought two of them when I started last year and have yet to put one on the hive - after reading everything about "honey excluder" etc.  At the conference at Young Harris, speaker after speaker said they never used the queen excluder.  Then on the test there was the question:  What are the two reasons to use a queen excluder?  Needless to say, I missed at least half of it! 

I said you use it to keep the queen from laying in the honey supers, but had no idea why else.  I know it is used in queen rearing - but I don't know how.

You were concerned about brood in the honey.  Since I did my honey harvest by crush and strain, it was quite easy to exclude any honey super or part of a super (a frame or two) that the queen had decided to move up and lay in.  When there was only a tiny, tiny brood area, I just cut around it.  I did eat a small piece of cut comb that had cocoon left by an emerging bee in it, but I put it in tea, so that part floated to the top and I scooped it out and happily enjoyed my tea.

Linda T in Atlanta

[annette]

Linda T

I am more and more interested in doing beekeeping the way you are. Without the foundations. But I started this way, and I want to get more experience and confidence before I change to foundationless beekeeping.

It certainly seems easier without the foundations, without worrying about mites, without the trouble of cleaning the extractor, etc.

One day I will try it.

Thank you for your responses
Annette

[Kathyp]

i think the trick is to put the honey supers on.  let the bees start working the supers, then add the excluders.  i had not problem with it.  maybe some hive are different.  experiment a little and find what works for you.  if you have more than one hive, try them on one and not another.

if your bees won't move up, spray a little sugar water on the foundation.  they'll go after it.

[annette]

i think the trick is to put the honey supers on.  let the bees start working the supers, then add the excluders.  i had not problem with it.  maybe some hive are different.  experiment a little and find what works for you.  if you have more than one hive, try them on one and not another.

if your bees won't move up, spray a little sugar water on the foundation.  they'll go after it.

Thank you Kathyp

That is what I plan on trying now. I will let you know how things go. I have only 2 hives. This is my strong, active hive. My other hive is struggling since I placed a new queen in there a month ago. She doesn't seem to be a very good queen, and so I will have to make an executive decision soon.

Have a great day,
Annette

[tillie]

Annette, there are so many ways to do things - not a single "right" way - so I was hoping just to make you feel better if you decided not to use the queen excluder even though you purchased it....didn't intend to sound preachy....just wanted to be supportive.

LT

[Mici]

i'm almost sure they'd move up when crowded or when there would be sufficient number of bees. another trick again is to move a frame or two of brood up.

[Michael Bush]

>They refused to go through the queen excluder!!

I wish I had a dollar for everytime I've heard that and everytime I've seen that...