I am in Western Maine and I have 2 hives this year. They built up great (one from a nuc and 1 from a swarm from that hive) and I've added honey supers on both.....
Some people say DO NOT use queen excluders and even call them "Honey Excluders." Others say NEVER put Honey Supers on without an excluder...
Of my 2 hives that I honey supered at the same time, I used an excluder on 1 of them (the hive from a nuc) and not on the other one (the one from the nuc hives swarm). I did my first inspection the other day 2 weeks after putting the supers on. The one without the honey super has more bees "upstairs" in the honey super than the hive with the excluder.
Note: The hive from nuc's honey super was loaded with new wax foundation on woden frames. The Hive from the nuc's swarm's honey supers are on plastic frames/foundation coated with beeswax.
My Questions:
1) Is that just by chance that the one without the excluder has more bees in the honey super?
2) Do you use queen excluders? If so, Why??? If not, Why?
Thanks!
Some people say DO NOT use queen excluders and even call them "Honey Excluders." Others say NEVER put Honey Supers on without an excluder...
Of my 2 hives that I honey supered at the same time, I used an excluder on 1 of them (the hive from a nuc) and not on the other one (the one from the nuc hives swarm). I did my first inspection the other day 2 weeks after putting the supers on. The one without the honey super has more bees "upstairs" in the honey super than the hive with the excluder.
Note: The hive from nuc's honey super was loaded with new wax foundation on woden frames. The Hive from the nuc's swarm's honey supers are on plastic frames/foundation coated with beeswax.
My Questions:
1) Is that just by chance that the one without the excluder has more bees in the honey super?
2) Do you use queen excluders? If so, Why??? If not, Why?
Thanks!