Author Topic: Plastic Queen Excluders  (Read 2431 times)

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Offline Wandering Man

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Plastic Queen Excluders
« on: June 13, 2021, 05:59:12 pm »
I use both metal and plastic queen excluders.  When I mention plastic, I get strange looks, even from the experts who sell them.

I have never used a queen excluder to keep queens out of my honey supers.  So far, that just hasn't been a problem for me.  I will, however use the excluders to keep queens from leaving the hive box. 

The major problem with a plastic queen excluder is that they sag in the middle if you put them between the bottom board and the bottom most brood box.  I use queen excluders down there whenever I catch a new swarm or have another reason to fear the bees will abscond. The sag is usually big enough to allow the queen to escape.  Metal excluders work best for this purpose.

The major reason I like plastic queen excluders is that I can make a queen excluder for anything with a pair of scissors.  I cut them to shape and duct tape them inside the Jester Nuc that I put a newly caught swarm.  I've got several Long Langs that have non-traditional entrances.  Again, I can cut the queen excluder to size when installing a new hive.

I have lost colonies twice because I ended up excluding the queen from the rest of the hive.  I've thought I'd captured the queen only to discover she was still hanging around outside. 
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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Plastic Queen Excluders
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2021, 09:47:24 am »
I like plastic QXs for the same reason, you can cut them into any size or shape you need.  I'm experimenting with a varroa trapping method that beekeepers use in Germany, which requires keeping the queen on one or two frames for one brood cycle.  So I bought a pack of 5 QXs from Mann Lake and cut them up so I have a small QX on the bottom and top of a section of box, and then a vertical piece that sits on the frame rests to keep the queen on the last two frames.  Some of my pieces weren't precisely cut enough and I had some queens escape, but some of them worked great.  I also used "queen includers" for my first packages.  I don't use QXs to keep queens out of honey supers either, and I've never had an issues with queens laying up there. 
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Offline Wandering Man

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Re: Plastic Queen Excluders
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2021, 04:44:08 pm »
15, please let us know how your personal research goes.  It sounds interesting.
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Offline The15thMember

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Re: Plastic Queen Excluders
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2021, 10:02:01 am »
Sure thing.  I'll post more about it once I've worked out the kinks.  Well, that is, if it actually ends up working.  :-\ 
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.
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Offline Grandma Bear

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Re: Plastic Queen Excluders
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2021, 12:46:16 pm »
I spent a summer working for a commercial beek. They swore the plastic excluders were the devil. The reasons they gave me are that they become saggy (as wandering man said), but they also said that the plastic edges tear at the bees wings and legs. I did see several bees missing a leg, or with shaggy wings in the colonies that did have the plastic excluders on them. The metal ones do have smoother edges, so I guess each may have it's purpose.

Offline Wandering Man

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Re: Plastic Queen Excluders
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2021, 12:16:47 am »
I spent a summer working for a commercial beek. They swore the plastic excluders were the devil. The reasons they gave me are that they become saggy (as wandering man said), but they also said that the plastic edges tear at the bees wings and legs. I did see several bees missing a leg, or with shaggy wings in the colonies that did have the plastic excluders on them. The metal ones do have smoother edges, so I guess each may have it's purpose.

I had not heard about the edges being a problem.  Thanks.
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Offline Grandma Bear

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Re: Plastic Queen Excluders
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2021, 06:02:35 pm »
I spent a summer working for a commercial beek. They swore the plastic excluders were the devil. The reasons they gave me are that they become saggy (as wandering man said), but they also said that the plastic edges tear at the bees wings and legs. I did see several bees missing a leg, or with shaggy wings in the colonies that did have the plastic excluders on them. The metal ones do have smoother edges, so I guess each may have it's purpose.

I had not heard about the edges being a problem.  Thanks.

No problem, I just thought I would share what I've seen and was shown. Personally I don't use excluders, so it was very interesting to use them in the commercial bee yards I worked.