QUEEN EXCLUDERS

[COLVIN]

MICHAEL,
BACK ON DEC. 8TH. ( I THINK ) YOU RESPONDED TO THE PROBLEMS WITH FERAL HIVES SWARMING AGAIN AFTER CAPTURE. YOU MENTIONED PUTTING A QUEEN EXCLUDER ON THE SBB FOR A WEEK OR TWO. WHAT ABOUT THE TOP ENTRANCE ALSO. MAYBE TWO EXCLUDERS TOP & BOTTOM?   JUST A THOUHGT.  :?: COLVIN

[Jerrymac]

Do you have top and bottom entrance?

The excluder goes between the queen and the outside.

[Anonymous]

Colvin,

I think you're talking about the intent of keeping the queen from leaving by putting a queen excluder between the bottom board and the brood box, right?  I've never tried that.  Maybe I've just been lucky, but my swarms have always stayed put.

Actually, I wouldn't think that a queen excluder would hold a swarm queen.  They trim down to flying weight when they swarm and I figure they'd be able to squeeze right thru the excluder.

[Michael Bush]

>BACK ON DEC. 8TH. ( I THINK ) YOU RESPONDED TO THE PROBLEMS WITH FERAL HIVES SWARMING AGAIN AFTER CAPTURE. YOU MENTIONED PUTTING A QUEEN EXCLUDER ON THE SBB FOR A WEEK OR TWO. WHAT ABOUT THE TOP ENTRANCE ALSO. MAYBE TWO EXCLUDERS TOP & BOTTOM? JUST A THOUHGT.  COLVIN

It depends on where youre entrances are.  It also depends on if it's a virgin or a mated queen.  In other words a primary or secondary swarm.  If the queen is not mated and you confiner her for two weeks she will be a drone layer.  I'd only do it for a few days.  If you have a top entrance, then put it on the top. If you have a bottom entrance then put it on the bottom.  If you have both, then put them both places.  Remember, though, you'll have to let a virgin mate and you'll have to let the drones out once they start to emerge.  The excluder will stop both the drones and the queen.

Yes the queen MIGHT get through, but she usually won't work that hard at it wihout some motivation (like a lot of smoke).