plastic queen excluder Vs wood and metal?

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beeboybee

Field Bee
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
750
Reaction score
14
Location
QUANTOCKS - SOMERSET
Hive Type
14x12
Number of Hives
6 >12 - 14x12 + Nucs
i currently have a plastic QE but always seem to trap a few bee's when reassembling the hive ( I am running Standard National with Bottom Bee Space) i am thinking of putting a wood framed QE on my shopping list for next year.... if i go with the wood one how does this work with bee space? will i end up with two lots of bee space above the QE and first super? is this a bad thing?
:cheers2:
 
The wire of the QE will be flush one side of the frame and recessed the other so giving you the bee space either top or bottom depending on what way round you fit it to the hive
 
ah thanks tom that make sense now! i had presumed the metal part was sandwiched between two equal sized bits of wood. are there any downsides to the wooden QE?

thanks againbee-smillie
 
It`s so much easier with a framed wire excluder. The bees don`t all rush up when you`re trying to peel it carefully of the frames and you don`t need to smoke them to death to get all the bees down to replace it because of the bee space.
I bought the plastic ones to start with because of the price difference but i`d only use them now if have too.


Darren
 
The frames wire excluders are far better than the plastic flat version, they don't stick down on the frames blocking off 60% of the holes, the ventilation is much improved and replacing a framed excluder is quicker with less smoke.

On the cheap, I did fit a frame to several plastic excluders which made them better to use, I did have to put a central bar in the frame to stop them sagging though which made them a touch trickier to use.

Hard to beat the framed wire excluders, don't forget to use them bee space down so flat on top (on your standard bottom be space National).

Hope this helps, Enzo
 
i currently have a plastic QE but always seem to trap a few bee's when reassembling the hive ( I am running Standard National with Bottom Bee Space) i am thinking of putting a wood framed QE on my shopping list for next year.... if i go with the wood one how does this work with bee space? will i end up with two lots of bee space above the QE and first super? is this a bad thing?
:cheers2:

I use both metal slotted and the plastic. I think the plastic is more sympathetic to wings etc but wears quicker when scraping propolis and comb etc. Either way, go to B&Q buy a 2.4m piece of 6mm strip wood (about £5, does 6+ QE's), cut to 18mm battons and stick round edge with evostick. Instant best of both worlds (assuming you are on bottom bee space)
 

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