Kyle asked "Is it common to have brood appear above a queen excluder? What could have
caused it? "
Yep...it is reasonably common. In my experience, perhaps 1 in 20.
There are at least a few possible causes:
1. A wire is bent and the queen can get up (and back down).
2. A new mated queen entered the box above the excluder.
3. A queen was accidentally moved above the excluder by the beekeeper.
Don't let anyone tell you that WORKERS MOVED EGGS UP. I was once at a conference where several researchers and queen breeders were present. This old wives tale (workers moving eggs) came up. The moderator asked for a show of hands who had experienced workers moving eggs...NOT A SINGLE HAND WAS RAISED.
When this happens to me, I look for the queen in the upper box. If I can't find her, I assume that the excluder has a bent wire (something that can be very hard to see) and discard it. Don't try to straighten it; it can be a frustrating job and rarely works.
Lloyd
email to [log in to unmask]http://www.rossrounds.com
Lloyd Spear, Owner of Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacturer of round comb honey equipment and Sundance pollen traps