REGARDING           RE>Escape boards
 
There has been a lot of discussion recently on the use of escape boards in
honey super removal.  However, one factor that has not to my knowledge been
mentioned is the amount of work involved.  I have used escapes in the past but
have found this to be the very most labor intensive method of all.  It
involves two trips to the yard, instead of one; this is a major problem if
there are several widely separated yards.
 
But most importantly, it involves lifting all the supers (about 50 lbs each)
full of bees to the side in order to place the escape board under the lowest
super.  Some of my hives have up to seven supers, and all have at least four!
I would ruin my back lifting all this three times (once down, once back up,
then the final removal)!  I usually look for the easiest method of beekeeping,
not the most difficult.
 
I think that perhaps the escape boards might be OK for a couple of hives, but
I cannot see that the sideline beekeeper (and surely not the commercial
operator) ought to waste all this time and energy when there are much easier
methods available.
 
Ted Fischer