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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Mark Hayward <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:16:45 +1000
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The topic of screen sizes and particularly queen excluder spacing is something I
have been pondering lately. You see I currently have a two story hive with queen
excluder between the two boxes.  I was about to rob the honey super but realised
that there was brood (eggs right through to capped) in the lower portion of the
honey frames.  As I periodically lift brood to reduce congestion in the brood
chamber I thought perhaps I had inadvertently lifted the queen.  Thinking that I
must have done so I went through the top box TWICE looking for the queen to no
avail. Despite being a strong, populous hive, I could not see her.  Inspection
of the bottom box quickly revelaed my marked queen was still live and well in
the bottom box which also contained plenty of brood at all stages of
development.  Having lifted brood over a week prior, I knew that the eggs and
young larvae in the upper box were younger than a week old and that there must
be a queen up there.....so I went through the box a third time.  By now, on a
hot Queensland day, I had had enough of this hive so put it back together
knowing that the marked queen was under the excluder in the brood chamber. I
resolved to check again and sort it out the following week.

The next weekend - same deal--- still eggs and young larvae in the top box, but
my marked queen was in the bottom brood box.  Search of top box (twice again)
revealed no sign of a queen.

I then thought that the integrity of my excluder must have been compromised so
have substituted it for a new one and will check again this coming weekend to
see if the same problem continues.  I guess the purpose of these ramblings is to
seek opinions as to what is going on.  MUST I have a queen in the top box or
will a queen traverse through the excluder in to the top box if she desires
extra room to lay?
I look forward to comments


Regards


Mark Hayward
Brisbane
Queenslanmd

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