# Need Help getting bees out of the honey supply.



## KentJ (Nov 11, 2009)

I have a dilema that I have never had before. I was going to remove boxes to spin honey and put a escape in. I also placed a queen excluder below that. When I went back three days later the boxes were still full. So I pulled the hive apart to check to see if I put the escape in upside done. I found approx. 75-100 white bee larve. I believe I have a queen in the upper boxes that I was planning for honey. 

So with that said is there a way I can get the queen back down into the lower brood boxes and get the top boxes off for collections. The hive is 5 medium boxes high and the population is pretty large. 

Any suggestions 

Thanks


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

Can you put an empty medium above the brood circle, then put the honey ones above that without the queen excluder or bee escapes? Then gently smoke the bees down into the hive and remove the frame(s) of capped honey? Not sure if this would work or not, but it would give the hive another box to down into and a bit more room for your queen to lay as well. It will be interesting to hear what others would do. Personally, I don't use queen excluders nor bee escapes.


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## KentJ (Nov 11, 2009)

Now I did put an empty medium super with drawn out comb that I had below the honey supers hoping that they would move to the fresh wax. So that part is done. Now would using a honey robber product work or should I stick with smoke?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

When we remove our honey supers (don't use queen excluders either.) I remove the top cover and smoke thru the intercover hole. Wait a few minutes at least 5 then take off the intercover. With a empty honey super of the correct size near by I start pulling frames shake off the bees back into the stack just in case the queen may be on a frame. Any bees that don't shake off I brush off with a bee brush. Kare places the clean frame of honey in the empty super and covers it up with a lid I made.
If I am in a real hurry Ill do every thing the same except after the intercover comes off I;ll break the first honey super loose and tip it on its side and blow the bees out with the bee blower.
during a normal year we do several hundred honey supers that way.


 Al


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## beerancher (Dec 30, 2008)

your going to have to do it like alley said. I use a fume board and a bee blower. Bees will not leave broad on there own


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## paul98604 (Jun 16, 2012)

I agree with alleyyooper. I only do a few supers a year for personal use and I do the same process, except for the bee blower. I'm not against using them but only doing a few hives a year it's not worth the money.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

A simple leaf blower will work as a bee blower.
Frames with brood in them You can put in a super with a queen excluder under it and allow the grood to hatch, Make sure you fill the super with frames of drawn comb or foundation though.

 Al


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