Charles Hatton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>I was told by the store where I got my two hives, that a queen excluder =
will stop the other bees from doing much up there.  The lady at the shop =
said it really is a bee excluder.  I don't know what to do.  Please =
advise.=20<<
 
I don't think you need listen to the lady at the shop any more.  There are
a few good reasons for using a queen excluder.
 
1)  You don't get brood in the honey super which is a real pain when you're
ready to extract.  I used to cut the brood out of frames when this
happened.  This led to bald Duragilt(:>).  Now I use excluders and plastic
foundation like Plasticell and Permadent.
 
2)  If you're making honey in the comb, you definitely don't want brood in
your comb because if detracts from the pristine appearance of the product.
 
3)  Brood leaves deposits, cocoons etc., in the comb of your supers that
attract wax moths.  Wax moth larvae prefer the comb that has had brood in
it.  If you store supers that have had brood in them, you increase the
chances that you'll get wax moth damage in your supers over the winter.
 
I have heard of instances where bees are too big for the spacing in
excluders.  If you requeen with a queen that produces standard sized bees,
this problem goes away.  It may cause the bees a little more trouble but I
haven't seen a detraction yet.  As you have probably already read, buy
metal bound excluders.  They keep a tighter bee space (less burr comb) and
hold up longer(wood falls off wood bound excluders).  Stay away from
plastic - doesn't work very well.  I'm using excluders across the board
this year.  No problems yet.
 
Here in North Central Texas we've had a good wet spring.  We've already
experienced one Mesquite honey flow and another is about to start.  The
Mesquite trees around my bee yard are full of new green blooms.  My bees
have already filled and capped most all of the supers that I had on them!
I put on new supers last Saturday and am ready for this new flow.  A few
hives had swarmed but built back up to foraging strength before the flow.
My bees have already made more honey this year than they did for the whole
summer last year!  Of course last year we had a terrible drought.
 
Ted Wout
Red Oak, TX