# Excluders



## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

Started two nucs in May, they have two deeps and a medium filled, i put an excluder or the top and a honey super. As in the past once i put an excluder on the bees ignore the space above them. Should i rob some brood out of the other medium and put it in the honey super with the excluder on to get the bees up there? Excluders do not seem to work that well for me. Also they are taking syrup, should i continue with that with the honey supers on or????


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

This is a very easy fix. Throw away the queen excluders or possibly use them to sift dirt, display jewelry, or use as an emergency rub board. 

The queen is not going to lay in your honey supers. She will very rarely cross over a honey barrier to lay. If the brood nest starts to move upwards to the point where it looks like she might start laying in a honey super.....reverse the brood boxes to move her back down.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I had a student that was doing the same thing feeding syrup with a honey super on. If you want honey stop the syrup feeding or you will get syrup instead. 
I have had queens lay in honey supers. Is no big deal make sure she isn't in the honey super any longer then add the excluder and the brood will hatch with no more eggs laid in the honey supers. Once the brood hatches the workers will fill the space with honey.

 Al


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## Buffy in Dallas (May 10, 2002)

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1XJT-yVZPE[/ame]


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## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

I took the excluders off this morning... it might all be pointless now, time will tell.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

I've wondered about these too. I recently put them on two of my three hives but wondered if they were necessary as my second deep boxes look like they're all or almost all honey.
I think I'll take them off.
(I'm new at beekeeping).


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## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

I checked the supers this afternoon and there are bees up there and they have already started drawing out comb. Before there were only two or three bees up there (I think they were loafers hiding out).


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## bellcow (May 12, 2014)

I HAD THE SAME problem and I was using the metal bound type. what I noticed was the wires are closer to one side of the edge piece than the other and the wires were right on top of my frames when installed on the hive body. I flipped it over and seem to work better for the bees. before there was only 1/8 or so between the wire and the frames. I'm using excludes and don't have any problems now. just think it might be something to check.


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

Exactly how we approach it. We never use excluders.



TxMex said:


> This is a very easy fix. Throw away the queen excluders or possibly use them to sift dirt, display jewelry, or use as an emergency rub board.
> 
> The queen is not going to lay in your honey supers. She will very rarely cross over a honey barrier to lay. If the brood nest starts to move upwards to the point where it looks like she might start laying in a honey super.....reverse the brood boxes to move her back down.


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## k9 (Feb 6, 2008)

bellcow mine are metal bound edge excluders also, but it doesn't seem to matter which way they go in the distance is the same. When i took them off there were bees standing all over it like they do an inner cover, but they did not show any interest in going through it. Hope you have better luck with yours. BTW they have no trouble finding any little opening in your bee suit when they are not happy.


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## bellcow (May 12, 2014)

they are a lot smarter when mad. the bees also know when the netting is against the side of your neck.


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