Queen Excluder Experiment

beesnweeds · February 20, 2023, 05:57:22 PM

Queen excluders are just another great beekeeping tool. I dont always use them and it depends on the hive. If I need to clear out brood from a super then the queen gets taken out and the excluder is on. One of best beekeepers I learned from always used them and always had great harvests, but he put a shim on the top super with a hole in it because he hated to drill holes in boxes. I dont have a problem with it and when I stack supers on in the spring one has a 3/4" hole under the hand hold. On the two insulated Paradise Bee hives I have, I didnt drill any holes in them and the bees dont have any problem filling supers with an excluder on or not.

What I did notice is when newer beekeepers try them in a year with poor swarm and mite control along with a bad nectar flow they hate them and blame the equipment and never use them again. Any experienced beekeeper with healthy booming overwintered hives on a great pollen and nectar flow is going fill a lot of supers, excluder or not.

FloridaGardener · February 24, 2023, 12:02:47 AM

Don't forget the QX's important use between bottom board and hive body in the first week of anchoring a swarm to the hive.

FWIW, my experience is as was mentioned -a plume or "chimney" of brood flanked by stores bars if no QX is used. But then, since I'm all mediums then I can"bait" nurse bees into the super by lifting a frame above the QX. Once that happens, I've never had a problem with clean comb honey above the QX.[attachment=0][/attachment]

Ben Framed · February 24, 2023, 12:53:24 AM

That?s a nice frame of honey.

Phillip

TheHoneyPump · March 07, 2023, 12:45:54 AM

I have read only the OP, so forgive if I have missed or duplicate anything already covered.
If you are using queen excluder for purpose of honey, the QE must be placed on the FIRST box. The queen will demand the box for brood and the bees will push up all the honey .. flowing through the excluder like water through a sieve. If the excluder is placed on the 2nd box, the queen has plenty of room and the bees will pack honey everywhere they can in the 1st and 2nd as close to the brood as they can. With 2 boxes full of resources around brood they may feel satisfied and go into coast mode. Which may appear as the QE is restrictive. It is not. There is just a huge difference on impact on the brood nest and where honey is stored depending on where you put the QE.

Hope that helps!

Ben Framed · March 07, 2023, 03:04:44 AM

Superbly Explained Mr Honeypump.

Thanks,

Phillip

Bill Murray · March 08, 2023, 06:37:00 AM

normally the fist supers i put on my production hives around the fist week of march are drawn comb and originally go on without an excluder. around mid march when i go back to said hive there is almost always brood already in that box. Make sure queen is not in the super. install excluder between brood nest and that 1st super. add 2 more supers. imirie shim, lid, done. The brood on those frames act like a magnet and bees move through without issue. In my experience its just the original "push" to get them up there. Ive had hives just refuse to move above it, but never if theres brood above it.

Lesgold · March 08, 2023, 05:25:05 PM

Thank you HP, your explanation was very good and this really helps me going forward. I will definitely try single brood boxes in the new season and see how honey yields compare. You have also given a few tips that will help me in relation to comb honey production. The information that you have provided is one of the main reasons that I joined this forum. Different views, ideas and discussion in relation to a variety of topics is extremely important, especially in beekeeping where there are always many ways of doing things.

Ben Framed · March 08, 2023, 06:07:17 PM

Quote from: Lesgold on March 08, 2023, 05:25:05 PM
Thank you HP, your explanation was very good and this really helps me going forward. I will definitely try single brood boxes in the new season and see how honey yields compare. You have also given a few tips that will help me in relation to comb honey production. The information that you have provided is one of the main reasons that I joined this forum. Different views, ideas and discussion in relation to a variety of topics is extremely important, especially in beekeeping where there are always many ways of doing things.

Well said Les.. I have learned much from our fellow members here at Beemaster..

Phillip