shoo Bee!
03-15-2000, 02:36 AM
Greetings fellow beekeepers! I have seven hives and I'm looking to raising my own queens for 2001. My question is: can hardware cloth be used as an excluder? if so what gauge. If not, how can one manufacture an excluder at home? Thanks for the input.
Barry
03-15-2000, 07:44 PM
shoo Bee -
> I'm looking to raising my own queens for 2001.
Make sure you read the great post by Jack Griffes in the "Queen Production" Forum. Nice overview.
> can hardware cloth be used as an excluder? if so what gauge.
#8 hardware cloth will exclude all honeybees. #4 hardware cloth will only exclude the occasional drone. Queen excluders measure 5/32" to 3/16" between wire and as far as I know, there is not a hardware cloth that measures this.
When one can buy a plastic excluder for $4.00 and a metal one for $6.00, I can't see how you could possibly come out ahead by making one. Tell me there is a way.
Regards,
Barry