brood or brood and 1/2 ???

[Luminos]

I use 3 brood box and I do not use excluder at all.

There is no difficulties to find the queen because it is in top most brood box.
And you need not see the queen. It is enough when you see young larvae and eggs.

The queen runaway if you give too much smokle. But how many times in a summer you must see the queen?

When you use 2 brood box, most of room in lower box is stored pollen.
Then bees have no need to store pollen in supers.

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I hate to disagree with Finman but on several occasions I've found the Q in the lower box.

BTW, you just put the top box on top of your upturned hive roof, whilst you search the lower box. I put a crown board over the top box while I'm looking in the lower one.

 

[Finman]

I hate to disagree with Finman but on several occasions I've found the Q in the lower box.

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Of course it is there sometimes, but I do not mind open the lowest box because angry foragers are there.

Queen goes there quickly when you give good smoke into the hive.

If I do not find the queen, I let it be to next time.

Why you must find the queen so often that your whole beekeeping style depends on it?

I have believed that idea is only separate honey and brood.

 

[Luminos]

Of cpurse it is there sometimes, but I do not mind open the lowest box because angry foragers are there.

If I do not find the queen, I let it be to next time.

Why you must find the queen so often that your whole beekeeping style depends on it?

I have believed that idea is only separate honey and brood.

I rarely look for the queen, as long as eggs are there - but last year I was trying to get off double brood and onto 14 x 12 and I preferred to know where the Q was in case I accidentally squished her

 

[Finman]

I accidentally squished her

Yes, I have done it many times.

That is why "full inspection" is not my favorite.

Once I have used excluder in queen researching.

The hive had a new queen and it was impossible to find it. We wanted to change it.

I put an excluder against entrance and then we shaked all bees in front of hive.
It took some minutes and the queen was alone outside excluder.
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