Queen Excluder Orientation?

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Slotted - parallel with top bars. Wires - perpenduicular.


The short slotted ones, if unframed or 'plastic' need to be at 90 degrees as it is extremely easy to have near 100% blockage of holes in the queen excluder from the top bars of the frames below.

For framed wired excluders (which IMHO are the only ones worth bothering with) I fit them at 90 degrees, always.
 
I read some where ( will have to look for it) but this particular person calculated that the bees have increased cubic space/access if the slots on slotted excluder are 90 degrees to the frames..... me thinks he should get himself a girlfriend.
 
Not so fast MrB
I think the theory depends a lot on whether you have top or bottom beespace - with bottom beespace the excluder could be resting on the top of the frames therefore (let's use wire frames in this instance) if you run the wires parallel to the frames you could end up with the wire right over the beespace between the two frames making the gap even narrower so the bees can't pass through, if the wires are at right angles you should always have a space the width of the gap between the frames by the width between the wires (or holes or whatever) with top beespace it wouldn't matter so much.
Wahey - now you have four options!! :party:
Boy, now you've confused the issue further. So in a National hive what would be best?
 
What was the original thread?

Reading the replies I thank you all for your comments on my oringinal thread concerning the orientation of the QE.

It does seem to have gone slightly off topic, and perhaps off colour but I would like to try and conclude something from this.

May I assume that on a National, it matters not a fig which way round the QE goes?

:eek:
 
May I assume that on a National, it matters not a fig which way round the QE goes?


No


Get an empty hive, fill it with DN5's or 14 x 12 frames with 1 1/16" top bars

Slap on a short slotted zinc or plastic queen excluder. One way lets lots of bees through, the other stops most of the bees. If you use DN1's with some plastic spacers you can ensure that nearly every hole in the queen excluder is blocked from usage.

Chuck the slotted zinc or plastic queen excluder in the bin where they belong.

Now fit a Framed Herzog excluder with nice bee friendly wires.

It will work either way.
 
May I assume that on a National, it matters not a fig which way round the QE goes?

No not a fig..........best to forget queen exluder above brood box,let them have the run of the hive and use the excluder as a queen includer between the floor a brood box,keep the swarmy buggers at home a bit more.
 
No


Get an empty hive, fill it with DN5's or 14 x 12 frames with 1 1/16" top bars

Slap on a short slotted zinc or plastic queen excluder. One way lets lots of bees through, the other stops most of the bees. If you use DN1's with some plastic spacers you can ensure that nearly every hole in the queen excluder is blocked from usage.

This got me worried so I did just that.
I have top bee space so the diameter of the top frames is no issue.
The gap between the bottom bars presuming 11 frames with narrow spacers is 22/23mm. Plenty of space for 2+ rows of my Maisemore plastic excluder

Does anybody here manage their hives without excluders?
 
quince honey farm run 1400 hives and do not use any excluders.... :)
 
"How do you keep the honey brood-free?"

AFAIK canadians don't tend to use excluders - rely on the frame spacing to discourage HM - not sure why - perhaps cells too deep?
 
I understand that the extra width of DN5 top bars is intended to keep the Queen 'down' in the Brood Box. I recall reading (don't ask me where exactly...) that DN5 frame sizing was developed for use before the widespread use of Queen Excluders, especially in WBC Hives.
 

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