I keep 150 hives in northern North Carolina in 1 deep and a six and five eights
super.  Our honey flow is early and intense and over by June 1 with very little
nectar until fall.  I use queen excluders as an insurance policy over the
summer to keep the queen out of the honey super so there will be honey for
overwintering come fall.  However, I don't like to put the excluder on until
after the honey flow ( I usually slip them between the super and brood chamber
when I am pulling honey and have fume boards on, I just let the fume board
drive the bees out of the super too).  However, if the super is a good bit
filled with brood, there is not much honey stored over the excluder.  I have
been toying with the idea of putting the excluders on in early spring and
relieving congestion by swapping out 2-4 brood frames with foundation, and
putting the brood frames in a deep  box over top of the honey super.  I realize
there are drawbacks, sudden cold snaps, splitting the brood nest, the fine line
between providing an outlet for energy vs. sapping hive energy.   However, I
will be rotating old brood frames out, and the honey super will be filled with
honey only.   I am just curious if anyone else has any thoughts on this
technique?
 
Bill Lord
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william g lord
E-Mail  : wglord@franklin
Internet: [log in to unmask]
Phone   : 9194963344