[bbuck2003]

So, we just put a 3/4 inch spacer on 3 1/2 sides between the honey super and the brood box, with the queen excluder still on the brood box. Anyone see a problem with this? We felt it would improve ventilation and allow the bees another entrance.

Thanks for the help

 

[Marty Daly]

others with more experience can answer better than me, but I think the bees will draw a lot of burr comb with that much space between supers.

--- marty ---

 

[frazzledfozzle]

Rather than using a spacer you can just set the honey super back on the excluder just enough for the bees to get in and out, about a centimetre of excluder wire showing works well.

As the previous poster mentioned you will have problems with comb being built to fill the space.

 

[Pete O]

Like the others have said, burr comb, burr comb, burr comb. Bees will always find a way to fill up an empty space- and quickly.

 

[Ron B.]

Bees observe bee space, they will draw comb and fill it with honey if a flow is on.

 

[LeonardS]

Make sure the hive is strong enough to control this new entrance for the wax moths.

 

[AR Beekeeper]

I use 3/8 inch strips on the top of the excluder and the bees respect the space above the excluder. I think that because the bees are using the open side as an entrance you may not have as much burr comb as some expect. Bees usually respect the entrance area even if it violates the usual bee space dimensions.

 

[Ryan Williamson]

I like to put the excluder on and then a long building shim along each side so there is a 3/8 entrance on the front and no space on the back. I had no bur comb with this arrangement this year and the bees really seemed to dig the entrance.

 

[sqkcrk]

others with more experience can answer better than me, but I think the bees will draw a lot of burr comb with that much space between supers.

--- marty ---

Hammer meet nail. U got it Marty.

 

[Mr.Beeman]

Better off using the spacer idea just below the inner cover. Or opening the notch of the inner cover and installing it notch down.

 

[bbuck2003]

Yep, you guys called it, burr comb on the bottom of the frames, well, I tried it, removed it and learned. drilled a hole under handle area on honey super instead. Hope I didnt wast too much of their efforts.

 

[dweber85rc]

I tried just a 3/4 spacer this year with an entrance on my hives and ended up with lots of but comb. I moved the space to just below the inner cover which this far has resulted in no burr comb.

 

[Acebird]

drilled a hole under handle area on honey super instead. Hope I didnt wast too much of their efforts.

I have stopped doing this because during heavy flows it causes a traffic jam. Once a bee decides to use an entrance it always uses that entrance. With just a few bees using it there is not a problem but when the flow is strong it is no good. It does the opposite of what you hope for. I now think it is best to have a full bottom entrance or a full top entrance. Your choice.

I suppose you could have a full mid entrance.

 

[johno]

There is an interesting article by G W Hayes called Queen excluders or honey excluders? this can be found in the bee source archives and it deals with tests done on excluders under a shim providing an upper entrance. the results of the tests favoured this configuration.
Johno