How to use queen excluder

A queen excluder is a tool used in beekeeping to prevent the queen bee from laying eggs in the honey supers. This keeps the honey free from the bee larvae and pupae. To use the queen excluder correctly, follow these steps:

– Place the tool above the brood boxes and below the honey supers so that the queen will not lay eggs in the honey making location.

– Ensure that the queen excluder is aligned correctly so that the worker bees can move freely through it without any obstacles.

– Check the queen excluder regularly, so it does not become clogged with debris or propolis. If it is clogged, the worker bees might struggle to pass through it.

– After placing the queen excluder, add the honey supers on top. The bees will store honey here while the queen is restricted to the lower levels.

– Monitor the honey supers to make sure they are filling up with honey and not being used for brood. If the queen is laying eggs in the honey supers, then there might be an issue with the queen excluder.

– When the honey supers are full, and the honey is ripe for harvest, you can remove the supers without worrying about brood.

Remember that some beekeepers choose not to use queen excluders, as they believe the tool might hinder the natural movement of the colony and impede the bees’ ability to manage their hive.