DIY Queen Excluders?

[TooBee...]

Hi all,
I know that this is a strange thought to throw out, but...

I was reading about Queen Excluders on Dave Cushman's site at
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/excludertypes.html
and he stated that he didn't like the one's I was considering buying at
https://www.amazon.co.uk/British-na...qid=1511225986&sr=8-7&keywords=queen+excluder
when it occurred to me that these are sheets of metal with 4.2mm holes ... I've come across that before, ... a few minutes later and I had found companies selling Wire Mesh with square spaces measuring 4.318mm (made from 2mm wire).

You can see where this is going... has anyone made their own Queen Excluder and from just a few minutes searching on the web it would seem that the mesh is available to buy in bulk, which would not be difficult to fit to a small wooden frame?

 

[For want of a better word]

Could be false economy.... given that the plastic ones are so cheap if bought in 25s?

Mytten da

 

[YHP]

Hello icanhopit. Who sells QE in bulk (25)

 

[Beefriendly]

the one's I was considering buying at
https://www.amazon.co.uk/British-na...qid=1511225986&sr=8-7&keywords=queen+excluder

Intriguing information from Si the Beek on the advert, where he compares them to bamboo and wooden queen excluders. I've never come across either of these types before. Has anyone?

For what it's worth IMHO those galvanised ones are okayishly crap they bend and break far too easily, but there are much better. Plastic does the same job (as Hoppy says) and is a lot cheaper. Personally I prefer the wired ones like the one below. But they aren't cheap at £15 a pop.

 

[For want of a better word]

Maismore...... and others.
I use them in queen rearing mainly.
Keep the wired ones back for honey producers, particularly with cut comb where we do not want HM laying up in the supers... occasionally she will get through!
Still have a stack of zinc and aluminum pressed sheets put to good use.

Bamboo and wooden excluders... bend and warp as wood does... have one hanging on the office wall.. beatifically crafted Chinese National in two different coloured woods... visitors often ask what it is!

Yeghes da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nothing wrong with the pressed zinc sheets - especially good with bottom beespace as you can just peel them off the top bars without too much disruption to the bees. It's a nonsense all this hankie wringing that goes on about them damaging the bees' wings, but personally I prefer the framed wire ones.
Back to the OP though - the mesh company does sell wire mesh which is marketed as being queen excluder mesh, but I've never tried it.

 

[TooBee...]

the mesh company does sell wire mesh which is marketed as being queen excluder mesh, but I've never tried it.

As a wise man once said, there is nothing new under the sun, and there's me thinking I had come across a clever money saving method, from looking at the Mesh Company's prices, maybe not so...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stainles...674913?hash=item1eb2cb1e61:g:7YcAAOSwSypY~xv3

 

[Uncle Betty]

I believe it was on the forum I read about someone just using an inner cover with the feed holes blocked, but a hole drilled in each corner.

On the grounds that a queen won't travel across a large area of wood.

Can't find the post, of course.

Does anyone else recall that ?

 

[Madge]

I believe it was on the forum I read about someone just using an inner cover with the feed holes blocked, but a hole drilled in each corner.

On the grounds that a queen won't travel across a large area. ... Does anyone else recall that ?

I have tried it, and the queen found her way up into the next.

 

[Uncle Betty]

I have tried it, and the queen found her way up into the next.

Ah, thank you.

Too good to be true !