Queen Excluder slot size

[barshambees]

Hi all. I have just purchased some of those 4 way entrance disc things. The ones that are circular with 90 degree parts - closed, air vent, queen excluder (includer) and fully open.

I tried one on a new hive with a swarm yesterday and turned it to queen excluder mode, but the workers couldn't get in our out of the slots.

I measured them and they were 3.7mm wide. My National queen excluders have slots at 4.3mm. Is there a standard for bees (am in uk).

Has anyone else had the same problem with these devices?

I actually filed the slots out to 4.3mm which seems to have kept the queen from dashing off, but the workers are going in and out now.

Thanks in advance

 

[dn170221]

Some good info here:
http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/excludertypes.html

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Looks like the supplier has given you some duff parts!

 

[barshambees]

Thank you for the link dn170221 . That is interesting. The 3.7mm slots were obviously too small - they were full of dead stuck bees this morning... Before I took a file to them.

4.2 / 4.3. Seems to be correct.

 

[einsteinagogo]

I recently, built QX for Apidea, and the slot size is 4.3mm.

Interesting, that 3.7mm was the first size, when we 3D printed them, and due to squeezage, this was the size, that came out, so we had to adjust the 3D CAD drawings.

But those round disks are not 3D printed.... injection moulded..... very odd...

Did you purchase more than one ?

I've got one here.... I'll measure it, when I get time, it's covering a feed hole at present.... but needs to go back on my bait box.

 

[barshambees]

Hebeegeebee / einsteinagogo - I spoke to the supplier and he says nobody else has had a problem and he was using them himself with no trouble. He did offer a return and refund, but they seem quite useful so will keep them and file the other 5 out that I bought.

Has anyone else tried them with or without success?

 

[einsteinagogo]

Hebeegeebee / einsteinagogo - I spoke to the supplier and he says nobody else has had a problem and he was using them himself with no trouble. He did offer a return and refund, but they seem quite useful so will keep them and file the other 5 out that I bought.

Has anyone else tried them with or without success?

you must have fat bees!

 

[barshambees]

They will diet next week - its going to rain a lot ;D