QX

[Haughton Honey]

Has anyone used the metal-framed wire QX as advertised on fleabay (item number 290529473017)?

I've used the wooden-framed variant from Thornes with the bee space on one side previously, but never one of these.

WPC

 

[oliver90owner]

Possibly the photogapic quality, but doesn't look rectangular.

The wire screens are only 9 or 8 1/2 quid from Th*rne, plus delivery.

This seller is not quite saying it but indicating they found something better?

At 12 1/2 quid, and may get damaged in transit, I would give it a miss. Probably half a bee space on either side!

I am wondering what it cost first time round on epay.

Regards, RAB

 

[Rosti]

Main point of posting: that sounds expensive!!! and plus P&P I'm guessing.
Strange, I always thought wasps were the one to watchout for but the chances of being stung on ebay seem higher these days.

Never used wire, have steared away because I have it in my head that the wires could bend / move and no longer exclude HM. Not sure where I got that from though. Have stuck to metal slotted or more recently plastic slotted with 8mm wood batton glued to one size to give bee space. R

 

[Teemore]

My mentor gave away all his framed wire QXs as he had experience of newly mated queens slipping through them and also of mated Queens getting through them. He cited the ease with which the wires could be bent enough to let the Queens through and the possibility that if the colony slimmed a Queen down (for whatever reason) she could potentially get through the wire QE. He has never had these problems with the pressed zinc QXs he favours. The final straw which prompted him giving away his wire QXs was a Queen getting into one of his section boxes and laying up a lot of sections......
So far my instinct is to use a wire QX as it is kinder on the bees passing through it - the wires are round and less likely to abraid the bees wings but by the same measure, I understand that the plastic QXs are also easier on the bees wings as the slots are rounded. Given the life expectancy of worker bees during the Spring and Summer my concern over the state of the bees wings may be a moot point!!

 

[Rosti]

Teemore


Although I haven't seen evidence of wing abbraison through the zinc slotted QX that is the reason why I have bought plastic ones, am running both at the moment, not really seen any diff. Only got the plastic last year so also not sure how well the plastic will stand up to brace comb removal with a hive tool? Time will tell no doubt. R

 

[Jim Lavie]

Have stuck to metal slotted or more recently plastic slotted with 8mm wood batton glued to one size to give bee space. R

That's interesting I recently bought plastic excludes, why aren't they sold with thick edges for bee space? I had mine on from June to September without any built in bee-space (I'm new) the bees got through ok. Perhaps I need to get battons too?
regards Jim

 

[oliver90owner]

I only use wire excluders because they are rigid.

RAB

 

[Rosti]

RAB, with the design of wire excluder you are using how are the wires supported across the frame so they dont move? the only ones I have seen are effectively lots of wefts with intermittent warps - if the weaving analogy is valid. Are you saying yours have 'welded' or fixed warps?

Never really investigated the wire version. R

 

[tonybloke]

mine are like this
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=3274&stc=1&d=1296748697

 

[oliver90owner]

Just standard issue from Th*rne. My comment was simply that they must be self supporting. A Q/E which sags is no good to me for my hives! Burr comb, brace comb, and propolis would be welding my boxes together every week.

It would be unfair to say I only use them to clear Her Majesty down into the smaller brood area when the main flows are over and her laying rate (or need for laying space) has subsided, or I want the OSR out of the system. It might depend where the hive is located, but they are rarely left on all summer. They are often on the hive - but may well be above the crownboard for most of the summer!

Regards, RAB

 

[Haughton Honey]

mine are like this.....

tonybloke - snap - I also use that variety, but with ply having a (relatively) limited lifetime I wondered about the equivalent 'all metal' ones as per fleabay.

 

[rowbow]

I use the framed wire type,they do not sag in the middle easy to clean and able to use gas blow lamp or hot air gun, more area open for bee's with orientation of main wires across frames, if braise wax is a problem just give it a little twist before lifting, check for the queen on the under side,its one of the main reasons the Q gets in to the supers.
I got mine from flee bay a couple of years ago, bulk bye to save on postage,
welded stainless wire with timber frame, but does not seem available any more.

John