QE Alternative

[Brown Beek]

As an alternative to slotted or wired Queen excluders, I thought I’d trial the use of thick plastic sheeting placed over the brood frames. I note this is a tip Clive de Bruyn picked up from an older Beek in the 1970’s and worked to keep the Queen out of the supers with a heather crop.

The cover goes the internal length of the box, but does not cover the frame lugs so there is plenty of space for the bees to access the upper box. I guess the principle of this approach is that Queen is much less likely to leave the brood nest and go round this barrier unless ‘really’ pressed for laying space (which I should be managing anyway).

The Queen getting into the upper box would not be the a catastrophe, but will prompt a rethink re use of conventional QE measures. I acknowledge it won’t give the same reliability as a QE, but want to see the ‘needs must’ workability of the option. Just thought it was worth a try and if met with abject failure, go to plan B.

Any thoughts or observations on this practice???

 

[steve1958]

I think we all try different ideas at different times.
What works for one beekeeper doesn't always work for another.
Try it and see.
Just be careful when doing inspections as until you see her you won't know where she is.
Even if you see eggs in the brood box she may have crawled up in to the upper boxes very recently.
Also try and keep the brood nest centralised as opposed to having it to one side of the brood box.

 

[Antipodes]

As an alternative to slotted or wired Queen excluders, I thought I’d trial the use of thick plastic sheeting placed over the brood frames. I note this is a tip Clive de Bruyn picked up from an older Beek in the 1970’s and worked to keep the Queen out of the supers with a heather crop.

The cover goes the internal length of the box, but does not cover the frame lugs so there is plenty of space for the bees to access the upper box. I guess the principle of this approach is that Queen is much less likely to leave the brood nest and go round this barrier unless ‘really’ pressed for laying space (which I should be managing anyway).

The Queen getting into the upper box would not be the a catastrophe, but will prompt a rethink re use of conventional QE measures. I acknowledge it won’t give the same reliability as a QE, but want to see the ‘needs must’ workability of the option. Just thought it was worth a try and if met with abject failure, go to plan B.

Any thoughts or observations on this practice???

We use an internal cover over the frames in the top box, with about 15mm space all around so it doesn't touch the sides. The migratory lid goes over that. No crown boards or anything. I do however know of a guy in NSW who does what you are saying, but only to keep the brood warmer as I understand it. I'd imagine it might interfere with the movement of circulating and nectar drying air in the hive up in the honey supers. It might not at all, but I'd imagine it might. Here, queen excluders are rarely used in commercial operations from what I've seen.

 

[ericbeaumont]

A box of honey is an effective QX.

 

[ShinySideUp]

A box of honey is an effective QX.

I can see how that might work until the point where you put extra supers above the honey excluder. The queen only has to wander up to the empty supers once and she may just start her brood area there perhaps? Don't know, just a thought.

 

[ericbeaumont]

extra supers above the honey excluder

Yes, they'd have to go above the full super or the honey barrier would be lost.