On Tue, 2 Aug 2005 12:42:09 GMT, [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >I'd leave those frames over the hive to let the larvae mature and emerge. I use queen-excluders these days and don't have to face this situation. > >Why not then leave these frames over the hive and let the brood emerge? It seems to me a cruel and wasteful way of treating baby bees. > We run 280 colonies and when pulling honey there is no real good place to leave 2 or 3 frames that might have a hundred cells of brood at most.. In the event that they turned the super into a brood nest and have a large amount of brood we leave the whole thing on. This situation is more likley on the first removal of honey in June or July then during the late season. I've had poor luck with excluders. Many hives will not put honey up and try and swarm with an exlcuder on. I've done side by side comaprisons in several yards and came to the conclusion they are honey excluders. We check each yard every 2 weeks and I'd rather have some occasional brood comb then no honey. I know many of the large commercial beekeepers send everything through the uncapper with automated deboxers etc. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::