# Queen Excluder and Top Entrance



## Planner (Apr 3, 2016)

For the first time this year I am considering using queen excluder on some of my hives.I had poor results several years ago with excluders. This year I am going to add a top entrance above the excluder to help the bees that can't make it or don't want to make it through the excluder. I would appreciate any comments from others that have used an excluder and a top entrance as well.


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## Michael B (Feb 6, 2010)

I don't get to complicated. I add excluder to top brood box them add DRAWN supers above. I offset one super to leave a 3/8 gap. Bees use it as entrance and also to cool the hive. This year I also put excluders on "crooked" to help with upward movement but keep queen below. We will see if it works.


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

I tried that this year with all my production hives and have so far been happy with the results. I haven't seen any reduction in honey production. Plus I always know the queens is in the lower boxes so I don't worry as much about hurting her when looking through the honey supers. It does take awhile for the bees to start using the upper entrance.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Using upper entrances on the hive in combination with lower entrances as a regular configuration makes your bees use to using an upper entrance. All My upper entrances are in the inner cover. so when I add a queen excluder and super I simply move the upper entrance up. The bees are all ready use to using the upper entrance so there is no real adjustment for them. he lower entrance is still available for nurse bees to take cleansing flights and mortuary bee to maintain a clean house. The upper entrance helps greatly when the lower becomes blocked by snow! Works for me.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Hang up a frame of brood, the bees will follow.

Crazy Roland


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## waspslayer (Jan 3, 2010)

I add a wooden 3/8" trim to all four sides of my QE's with a entrance slot cut into the front side. The wooden trim faces upward towards the super so the entering bees must make an effort to go down into the brood chambers, easier to go up to store the nectar.

The disadvantage is the bees add extra burr comb between the bottom of the frames and the QE. I also have a lower entrance and an upper entrance cut into the migratory lid. Works for me.


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## Planner (Apr 3, 2016)

That information is very helpful I did add the queen excluders to about 15 of my hives today. Placed a shim with a cutout (upper entrance) on top of the excluder so there would be a second entrance. I don't know if they will go through the excluder but even after a few hours I did notice they had discovered the upper entrance. I was surprised as I thought it would take a few days for them to find the upper entrance. I failed to mention that I placed a super with mostly drawn comb above the shim.


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## missybee (Sep 6, 2014)

We use excluders on every hive, our queens like to chimney right up into the supers. We have added, mostly, drawn comb. We did take a frame of brood from each brood box and put it above the excluder. The bees have had no issue working the supers. 

We do use the shims for upper entrances, this year not using screened inner covers, we have been wet and cool. Seeing if they can cap a little easier with less moist air flow. So far no bearding, it has not been warm enough. We have had 1/2 of this years rain fall during the month of May, almost 6 inches, 13 plus for the year. Hoping the sun will come out and help them with dehydrating the nectar.

Currently the frames are 1/2 to 3/4 capped. Each hive has 3 plus supers on them. Our strong hives have 5, smaller hives have 3.


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## Planner (Apr 3, 2016)

What works best for those hives where bees will not move up through the excluder or use the upper entrance . I have about 4 or 5 like that.


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

That question has been answered several times in this thread. Move a frame of brood above the excluder. The bees will move up to the brood. When the brood emerges, the bees will keep using the super above the excluder.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Planner. You're doing exactly what I did last year. How much wood do you have?
In a week or so you'll be wishing you had a whole lot more wood because of all the queen cells you're going to get handed. Get your ladder and swarm box ready. You're going to be using it in the next week or ten days. 
Sorry for the negative tone but you are copying one of my mistakes. 
QE's? SMH. 
Just sayin'.


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## Planner (Apr 3, 2016)

Sorry Aunt Betty,
I don't know what you mean. I am placing supers above the brood box (Deep) with a queen excluder immediately above the brood box and then a Emirie Shim with a small entrance above the queen excluder. This should have nothing to do with swarming and should help to reduce swarming as there are 2 entrances ( one below and 1 above). Perhaps I didn't understand your response. In terms of Fusion Powers response, I do not want to add a frame of brood into the honey super as that is what we avoid and the reason for using a queen excluder.


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

You may want to re-read Fusion Powers post. He is telling you how to get the bees to work through an excluder, if they are reluctant too. If you do not want to extract the brood frame after it is filled with nectar, put it back into the brood chamber to be used as food for the bees.

Bees will work through an excluder to care for brood, and after they start working in the upper super they will continue to do so. They will also work through an excluder if the upper super is baited with a frame of nectar, but brood is the best attractant.


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## Planner (Apr 3, 2016)

I understand and it makes sense. I have too many hives to do this and further I have different size frames.
Thanks


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## Planner (Apr 3, 2016)

Michael
I have had the excluders and a Emirie shim (for upper entrance)on for about 4 days and notice only a few bees moving up in most hives. I have few where they aggressively moved up. Any suggestion to get them to move up? I like your idea of putting the excluders on crooked. I forgot but by moving the excluder on an angle wouldn't the queen have a way through to the supers?


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## Planner (Apr 3, 2016)

A brief but interesting note. I have about 20% of my hives where the bees will not move up into a supr with a queen excluder. I also use an upper entrance. I experimented with removing the excluder for a couple of days and they still were not interested in moving up. Based on with previous years they move when they are ready and not when I want them to. I will never understand but it is interesting trying.


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## sherw00d (Jun 3, 2017)

All of my hives have Q/excluders on them and I have no problems with the.bees working the supers. You of course will find that without excluders and introducing a further entrance above the excluder that you are going to get a significant amount of drones in the supers gobbling up that lovely honey. You also open yourself up to robbing from this upper entrance both from other bees and yellow jackets.


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## Planner (Apr 3, 2016)

Update:
After evaluating 15 of my hives in a yard, Determined the excluders were not problems for about 6 of them.The remainder were struggling with the bees resisting going through the excluders. The top entrances that I created with a shim were helpful. A great deal of the difference appears to be that some hives were very strong and they had no problem with the excluders. The average hives struglled.I was concerned with swarming so I made the following changes. I removed all excluders, placed a second deep on top of the first deep, then a shim with an upper entrance and then a super. After a few day they are going great. Needless to say, the stronger hives remain the most active. Since the supers were already started and the bees were accustomed to using the upper entrance, it appears they may heading the supers rather than the second deep.


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