[Plannerwgp]

This is the first time I am experimenting with queen excluders. If anyone has experience with excluders could you advise me regarding the following:
The approximate amount time for bees to move up from a single deep brood box after it has ±8 or more covered frames. I am using all frames in both the top shallow honey super and the lower brood that have last years comb. I also placed an Emrie shim (second small entrance) above the queen excluder.
Thanks

 

[SuiGeneris]

It can vary greatly. I've had some bees move up before I could even get the lid on, while the same colony the next year ignored it for over a week.

 

[Vance G]

To avoid problems with queens crossing the excluder barrier, I move a frame of wet brood above the excluder in thee center of the box. If you are running deep hive bodies, center that frame in two supers surrounded by comb or in the new keepers case foundation. The bees will be compelled to fix their brood nest and start building on both sides of the brood frame. Shake or brush bees off first so you don't move the queen up. after the bees have drawn a few frames of comb above the excluder it is no longer a barrier in any way. I used to be ignorant in this subject and called them honey excluders. With proper management, excluders are a useful tool and labor savor.

 

[Plannerwgp]

Vance
Thanks for the suggestion of moving wet brood. This is a very difficult year here as the weather has been so wet that the bees don't have change to get out. I will try this at the end of next week when I will have about 13 or more hives ready for a super and queen excluder.

 

[Vance G]

It is wet and cold here too with out getting a whole lot of rain. If this was simple it would be boring AND painful! Who would do it?

 

[bushpilot]

To avoid problems with queens crossing the excluder barrier, I move a frame of wet brood above the excluder in thee center of the box. If you are running deep hive bodies, center that frame in two supers surrounded by comb or in the new keepers case foundation. The bees will be compelled to fix their brood nest and start building on both sides of the brood frame. Shake or brush bees off first so you don't move the queen up. after the bees have drawn a few frames of comb above the excluder it is no longer a barrier in any way. I used to be ignorant in this subject and called them honey excluders. With proper management, excluders are a useful tool and labor savor.

I did this a couple of weeks ago, and found that the bees made three queen cells from the brood. This was in the top box of four boxes (the only one above the excluder), and the colony was queenright, with no additional queen cells below.

 

[Vance G]

So now you have a choice. Destroy the queen cells or provide an entrance so your queen above can be mated and be a valuable extra queen. Did the bees start working the foundation above the excluder?

 

[Roland]

If you are running more than a single deep brood chamber, I would expect cells because you have stretched the brood chamber so far that her smell has diminished.

Crazy Roland

 

[amk]

If there’s a flow they won’t hesitate you don’t need brood above.

 

[Roland]

True that amk, but if they have 2 deeps for brood, they do not need anymore room for THEIR honey. No need for them to make a surplus for us.

Crazy Roland

 

[yukonjeff]

Thanks Roland. You confirmed what I have been seeing going on with my double deep brood boxes.

I had enough feeding brood "MY" honey and making bees. I am trying the single brood box this year with QE on top and se if I get any honey.

 

[amk]

True that amk, but if they have 2 deeps for brood, they do not need anymore room for THEIR honey. No need for them to make a surplus for us.

Crazy Roland

I must admit I’m not following what you said or meant. I run single deeps and have hives with 150lbs above the excluder in TEXAS which is not know for huge flows. I prefer to have combs for honey and comb for brood.

 

[Bdfarmer555]

If I need them to move up into supers, I just leave the excluder out, they will most always move up into them, drawing comb and brooding into them. At that point, I slip the excluder in, making sure the queen is back down. If I get busy, still no problem so long as I remember at least 3 weeks before I pull the honey off, as most brood will be emerged.

 

[roberto487]

True that amk, but if they have 2 deeps for brood, they do not need anymore room for THEIR honey. No need for them to make a surplus for us.

Crazy Roland

How is your overwintering arrangement for the hives?

 

[Roland]

AMK, my bad, I did not realize you where running single deeps.

Yukon.... As per AMK, you may not need to more some brood upstairs to coaxs them to go up. We keep an open single brood chamber so that the queen has plenty of open cels in front of her.

Roberto - A deep with bees, with an empty deep , with or without frames, below it. The bees and food are only in the upper box. The lower box is dead air space.

Crazy Roland