# Lazy bees



## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

I have a couple hives that fill the hive boxes but refuse to go past the excluder and fill the supers. What can I do?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Get rid of the excluders.

 Al


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

They don't call them 'excluders' for nuthin . . .


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## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

How do I keep the queen out? Don't want larvae in my honey supers.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Are you keeping them in a double deep brood nest? Just reverse the boxes when she gets up too high. Cut out the little bit of brood that may get into the honey supers before extracting. Get rid of the queen excluder. They will swarm if you don't. Bees often look at that excluder as the top of their hive and will feel crowded.


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## Earthling (Mar 6, 2014)

Ditto on the excluder. Rarely does the queen go up there. If she should, and you are getting closer to harvest, there are easy ways to keep her low - putting the excluder in for a while is one of them. Also, make a simple modification that changes your hives to top entrances. This way, the bees have to travel over the foundation in the supers to get to the deeps. Additionally, you'll get better air flow through the hive causing less condensation and better conditions for curing the honey. Are you using screened bottom boards? There are other advantages to top entrances too but won't go into those here.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Around here everybody calls it a "honey reducer"!I don't know anyone that uses them anymore.

Wade


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## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

I use two deeps for the hive. I also use screened bottoms on all of my hives. The majority of my hives fill the supers. I have three that never go past the excluders. Will pull them this weekend.


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## Earthling (Mar 6, 2014)

sleeps723 said:


> I use two deeps for the hive. I also use screened bottoms on all of my hives. The majority of my hives fill the supers. I have three that never go past the excluders. Will pull them this weekend.


I asked about the SBB's in case you go to top entrances, ventilation will be outstanding. Think of the poor little bees whose job it is to stand near the entrance and fan those delicate little wings to keep the air moving across the nectar in the combs so that it cures. You could save them a lot of work.


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## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

Really cold this year. Lost a lot of hives. Do I plug the bottom entrance? I have holes drilled into my supers for bees coming in.


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## Earthling (Mar 6, 2014)

The cold isn't going to kill the hive. Something else did. Holes in your supers? Hmm... do you have a pic?


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## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

Boxes were only about half full or only one box.


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