# Will A Russian Queen Squeeze Through an Excluder on a Demaree?



## Boxelder (Sep 16, 2017)

I am looking to separate the queen from the brood nest in preparation for a flyback split next week. 

The queen is to be separated from the brood ahead of time because the I want the larvae to be too old for emergency queen cells. I will then add a frame of eggs from a breeder queen to the new split that contains all the brood.

The whole plan is contingent on a the queen excluder separating the queen from the brood, and I understand that Russian queens have a way of squeezing through queen excluders. I will probably leave on frame of brood with the queen to encourage her to stay put, but hard to know if that will work...


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## mtnmyke (Apr 27, 2017)

Only times I've heard of queens slipping thorough excluders of when prepping to swarm. If she stays laying I don't see her getting through.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

You should assume that cells will be started on the brood separated from the queen even if only by an excluder. You will have to go through those frames thoroughly to check for emergency cells. 
Unless it was marked, I think most reports of queen going through undamaged excluders had another explanation, like more than one queen to start with or a rogue virgin flying in.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

sounds like a internet "story"
laying queens cannot get thru a "non damaged" excluder.

use a shaker box, shake the frames you want to take, place in back over the excluder, check them for started QCs when you pull them for making the starter.

I have Russian queens the excluder works.

GG


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## msl (Sep 6, 2016)

Gray Goose said:


> laying queens cannot get thru a "non damaged" excluder.


Its all about the thorax, and that size dosen't change with laying

That said
Poor quality queens can get threw as their thorax is smaller 
There was (is?) a bunch of MIC off speck queen excluders that had the holes too big


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

msl said:


> Its all about the thorax, and that size dosen't change with laying
> 
> That said
> Poor quality queens can get threw as their thorax is smaller
> There was (is?) a bunch of MIC off speck queen excluders that had the holes too big


i would agree if the hole is too big/off speck then they could.
i was talking a normal one

GG


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

Boxelder, as you need to find the Queen any way, why not do the split once you have her on a frame?

or is finding her the issue?

GG


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## Boxelder (Sep 16, 2017)

Thankyou all for the replies.

Yes, finding dark Russian queens can be a challenge, so I try to manage in ways that does not require finding the queen.


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