I am interested in the issue of single hive bodies as well. I see
excluders as necessary evils. Where I keep bees the honey flow is over by
June 1 and I use an excluder over a single hb to preserve the honey in
the deep or shallow super above over the course of the summer. However, we
have explosive population growth (and need it for the early honey flow)
in the spring and it seems
one hb won't hold the brood production. Thus I am always torn and end up
going around as I take honey with fume boards by leaving the board on a
little long and dropping the excluder down on top of the hive body, which
is to say it has been over the second hive body or super during the
flow. It would make life easier to restrict the queen to a single hb,
but will it work in the southeast? I would appreciate any ruminations
from other beekeepers in the southeast. The last thing I want is a lot
of swarming.
Bill Lord
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WILLIAM G LORD
E-Mail : wglord@franklin
Internet: [log in to unmask]
Phone : 9194963344