Best home made excluder screen

[DonShackelford]

I need to make some excluders for management purposes. The screen products I see at the big box stores seems too rough on the bees.

Anyone have a line on where to get good screen type material suitable for excluders?

[Adrian Quiney WI]

Don, I am not sure what your purposes are, but when I was dinking around the year before last I was able to make a queen compartment to isolate the queen for the "oldtimer" method, and cutting and hot gluing the plastic excluder from Mann Lake worked quite well. This year I intend to cut a couple up to use between my 5 frame nuc boxes for queen isolation purposes.

[Michael Bush]

The best excluders are smooth so they don't damage the wings of the bees. #5 hardware cloth will work for an excluder, but is a bit hard on their wings and does not allow as much freedom of movement to the workers.

[DonShackelford]

I'm wanting to move some brood above an excluder to ensure I don't take the queen. Since I make everything else, I wanted to try these, but Mann lake plastic may be cheaper.
Thanks for the ideas.

[Adrian Quiney WI]

Don, if it were for standard 10 frame equipment I prefer the mann lake wire one, the plastic one is not as "airy" in my opinion.