Foundationless Beehive

[JordanM]

If you put a package of bees in a beehive with the queen, should you put a queen excluder on the bottom? I'm asking this , because it dont seem like there would be alot to hang onto in the foundationlee beehive and she might walk right out the front.

[Michael Bush]

>If you put a package of bees in a beehive with the queen, should you put a queen excluder on the bottom?

I never have.  I've seen them leave even with the queen in a cage before to move next door.  But I haven't had them abscond WITH the queen that I know of.  Usually they seem to abandon her and move to another hive.  Dee Lusby recommends using a queen "includer" when doing shake downs and those putting packages on Honey Super Cell have recommended it.  I've never done it.