After a search of past messages, I have found opposing views on whether
queen excluders are advisable in producing honey for extraction.  Some think
they operate as honey excluders, and others insist that there is no better
method of producing honey.  I could not find any references concerning how
to get the bees to readily move through the excluder.

I am primarily a comb honey producer, so know something about crowding bees
into a compact brood nest and the advantage of a sealed semi-circle of honey
above the brood.  I do not use queen excluders for either my Ross Round(tm)
or cut comb production and have very little queen activity above the brood
nest.

In the year 2000 I want to use queen excluders while producing honey for
extraction and would appreciate some advice.  When I have tried using
excluders in the past at least 50% of my hives have swarmed and no more than
10% readily passed through the excluder to draw comb.  The remaining
percentage first filled the brood nest almost to capacity and only then
started drawing comb above the excluder.

When using excluders for producing honey for extraction:
1. Is having drawn frames above the excluder sufficient, by itself, to
attract the bees through?
2. Is it best to first insert the excluder between two brood boxes (being
certain the queen is in the lower box) and move the brood box above the
excluder down when the bees are readily going through the excluder?
3. Is it best to give the bees a separate entrance/exit above the excluder?
If so, should this be done in addition to item 2, above?

I will appreciate any advice and discussion.


Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner, Ross Rounds, Inc.  The finest in comb honey production.
www.rossrounds.com