> Is it my imagination or does a queen excluder slow
> down the process of the bees filling up the supers above it?  It
> seems there
> is more honey in the brood boxes and less in the supers. Has
> anyone else had
> this type of experience.  The two hives without the excluders seem to be
> filling the supers up faster.  They are all at the same location.
>
 
I keep hearing this same complaint.  Here in Tennessee USA, I use single
brood boxes make 3-4 supers of honey almost every year.  I do this by using
a queen excluder so that I have a hive full of honey instead of bees.  Yes
bees are reluctant to cross the excluder but if drawn comb is used they
cross with little or no hesitation.  If you give them foundation, leave out
the excluder until they have started drawing several combs.  I don't know
about double brood boxes but I regularly find 9 and 10 frames of brood in
the brood chamber with all the honey stored above in the supers.  I had a
young colony that was becoming honey bound last week.  I put on a super of
drawn combs over an excluder.  When I checked them yesterday, they had most
of the honey moved into the super to make room for brood rearing.  As you
can see, I absolutely believe in excluders for single brood setups.  Our
season is short and I want them to make honey and not babies from April to
July 1st.  That is my season so I make the most of it
 
Frank Humphrey
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