In a message dated 04/03/05 18:28:12 GMT Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<My problem, how much of this is beekeeper lore or convenience,  how much
based on real knowledge?

Me thinks this may set off a  debate - hopefully more interesting than 100
other ways to clean  excluders.  Don't get me wrong, the first few posts
were interesting  -- but I think that thread has run its  course.

Jerry>>



One of the fattest queens I ever had went through  an excluder. I was smoking
the bees (under the SBB) when I saw a kestrel drop on  something s few yards
away, just beyond the hedge. I waited, and saw it fly up  with what looked
like a small mammal, then realised I was still pumping the  bellows; the bees
must have been half gassed. A few moments later, I found the  queen crawling
about on the excluder. There were no eggs in the supers, so I  have to asume I'd
just driven her upstairs. Since most of my queens are quite  significantly
slimmer, they could probably get through if they wanted.

I don't like excluders, since bees don't seem to like going through them,
and I find they delay the occupation of the supers. I use them any time there's
no honey arch at the top of the broodbox, but once this is established, I
find  that it keeps the queen below quite efficiently, and therefore remove  them.

    Regards,

    Robert Brenchley

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