has anyone tried this?

[Kathyp]

i have lots of brood in a medium super that i would like to remove.  i was thinking of putting a square of plastic smaller than the super, on top of the frames below.  i was hoping it would accomplish the same thing as turning an excluder sideways, allowing them to care for the brood while discouraging the queen from laying up there anymore.  i had thought about a square of newspaper or cardboard, but i'm thinking they would just chew it up.

there is plenty of room for the queen to lay below.  she's just one that seems to like to go to the top.

[Robo]

I assume you are think of this because you don't have an excluder?    It might work, the one thing I think that might be an issue is that it will provide a barrier for the scent of the queen and they might attempt to build some queen cells,   They will do that at times even with a queen excluder.

[Kathyp]

i have an excluder.  it's more a weather thing.  i don't want the crack open with t-storms coming and me gone.

they might attempt to build some queen cells

then i could make a nuc....and now that i think about it, that might not be a bad idea anyway.....i'll have to check and see if there are the right age eggs or larvae in there.

thanks for the idea!

[Robo]

thanks for the idea!

No problem,  I'll book mark this post so I have it handy when you start whining about queen issues or winter losses  :evil:

[Kathyp]

this is a booming hive.  it wouldn't hurt them to give it a try. 

i don't whine......   :evil:

[Kathyp]

ok, never mind.  there is only a very small patch of brood left and they are backfilling with honey.  i'll save the idea for another time.