queen excluder question

[c10250]

Didn't use an excluder.

Had brood in my super.  Lots of capped drone brood.

Say I slapped a QE on with the queen out of the super.

What will happen to the drones?  Can they get out??

[RayMarler]

No, the drones won't be able to get out. Just prop the one end or side of the lid up 3/8 to 1/2 inch and then they can get out.

[c10250]

Thanks.

[c10250]

OK, so here's what I did:

Every other day I crack the top of the hive in the morning.

Around 4:00 I close it up.

I noticed drones trying to get back into the top after I close it, which to me means they left the top.

I want them out of the honey supers.  I'm assuming they'll find their way into the main entrance.

What's the best time to close the top.

[RayMarler]

You don't want drones in your supers, but in a beehive in nature, the drones are raised at the edges and top of the broodnest, and tend to  hang out just above the broodnest at the edge of the nectar and honey where nurse bees will feed them until they get mature when they will feed themselves. The drones don't hurt a thing in the supers, so long as they have an opening where they can come and go as they need.