Is 9 frame spacing a "natural" queen excluder?

[Finski]

Where I am in California we don't get long honey flows

Here in Finland main flow is 5 weeks. Then summer is over.

Dandelion starts blooming at the end of May and last flowers are over 10 of August.
main flow is 26.6-28.7.


I live at the level of Anchorage. Spring rape just started to bloom and fireweed.

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[ThomasGR]

People dealing with such slow flows and climate, have to try different things. What i understood observing my hives is that every single beehive is different and has different needs, due to Queen ability and resources. The space and frames really needed is quite different and giving one more box or not or adding an excluder ( even after 1st brood box that i also did this year to try) may be foolish for one area and necessary to other.

The bigger step for me to do, is to convince my clients that the best honey is not that has the best color in their opinion. They have to wait until bees are ready to give their plus honey leaving back also enough. This was a reason of using excluder but no more. Colonies getting smaller and small colonies maintaining for so many months of light flows can not give something at the end.

Today that i took a look at the 9 frame boxes was full of brood and also heavy of extra honey above brood. Some of these frames are really heavy.

So, Finski, this month is the month of honey for you. Wish you best harvest possible.

[Finski]

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This pic is from Greece. Hives are same looking like mine.
Number of hives seem too be big in dry area.

[ThomasGR]

Is this picture taken by you ?
I doubt that is a Greek apiary or at least it is not common, some kind of equipment i see do not exist here such top covers or feeders that seam like what i see to American beehives. Generally it gives me the impression that its in US, but of course you know better.

This is a Greek looking apiary

[Finski]

This is a Greek looking apiary

THAT IS MAD!!!! Where they get food?

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