Do Commercial Beekeepers Use Queen Excluders
Yes, commercial beekeepers do use queen excluders.
Queen excluders are used to restrict the queen bee from laying eggs in certain areas of the hive.
They have gaps between 4.1 and 4.4 millimeters, preventing the mature queen and drones from passing through.
However, virgin queens may still be able to squeeze through the gaps until they are mated.
While queen excluders can prevent swarming and keep brood out of honey supers during honey flows, they can also cause injuries to bees passing through the grid.
Some beekeepers address this issue by installing upper entrances.
Many commercial beekeepers choose not to use queen excluders as they believe it restricts the movement of honeybees and inhibits honey production.
At Wildflower Meadows, the use of queen excluders is approached in a more balanced way, potentially using them at the end of the honey flow to remove remaining brood.
Did You Know?
1. Queen excluders are a device used by commercial beekeepers to prevent the queen bee from entering certain parts of the beehive.
2. Interestingly, queen excluders were first introduced in the late 19th century as a way to keep the queen bee within a specific section of the hive, making it easier for beekeepers to extract honey without disturbing the brood or risking harm to the queen.
3. Queen excluders consist of a screen or mesh with small, precisely spaced gaps, allowing worker bees to pass through easily while preventing the larger queen bee from accessing certain areas. This helps maintain the organization and division of labor within the beehive.
4. Some commercial beekeepers choose not to use queen excluders because they believe it restricts the natural movement of the queen bee, potentially inhibiting her ability to lay eggs freely.
5. Additionally, in certain situations, queen excluders can cause division within a colony, as some worker bees may become reluctant to cross the excluder, leading to a fragmented hive structure. This is why some beekeepers opt for alternative methods of honey extraction that focus on minimal disturbance to the hive.
Purpose of Queen Excluders
Commercial beekeepers use queen excluders to control the distribution of the queen bee within a hive.
The primary purpose of a queen excluder is to restrict the queen’s access to certain areas, such as honey supers, where beekeepers prefer to have only honey and no brood.
By preventing the queen from laying eggs in these specific parts of the hive, commercial beekeepers can ensure that honey supers remain clean and free from brood.
This allows for easier extraction and more efficient honey production.
Additionally, the exclusion of the queen from the honey supers also helps maintain the quality and purity of the honey.
Key Points:
- Queen excluders are used by commercial beekeepers.
- They restrict the queen’s access to certain areas.
- The goal is to have honey supers free from brood.
- It facilitates easier extraction and efficient honey production.
- Helps maintain the quality and purity of honey.
Dimensions and Function of Queen Excluders
Queen excluders are mesh-like devices with specific dimensions and functions. These devices have small openings, typically measuring between 4.1 and 4.4 millimeters, allowing worker bees to pass through but restricting larger bees like the queen and drones.
The purpose of these dimensions is to create a barrier preventing the queen from accessing certain areas of the hive, while still allowing the normal traffic flow of worker bees. The gaps in the queen excluder are designed to be small enough to prevent the queen and drones from passing through, while still being large enough to accommodate the smaller worker bees.
It is important to note that although mature queens and drones cannot pass through the queen excluder, there is a possibility for virgin queens to squeeze through until they are mated. Hence, queen excluders may not effectively restrict the movement of all types of queens.
- Queen excluders are mesh-like devices
- Openings typically measure between 4.1 and 4.4 millimeters
- Allows worker bees to pass but restricts larger bees
- Creates a barrier preventing queen access to certain areas
- Prevents queen and drone passage, but accommodates worker bees
- Virgin queens may still manage to squeeze through until mated
Limitations of Queen Excluders
Despite their intended purpose, queen excluders may have some limitations and potential drawbacks.
One concern is the risk of bees getting injured while passing through the queen excluder grid. In particular, bees may damage their wings when squeezing through the small gaps, which can affect their ability to fly and perform their duties within the hive.
To address this issue, beekeepers may opt to install upper entrances, providing an alternative route for bees and reducing the chances of injury. This allows the workers to move freely between the brood boxes and honey supers without having to pass through the queen excluder.
Another limitation is that placing a queen excluder below the bottom box can prevent the queen from leaving the hive and potentially reduce the likelihood of swarming. However, this method may not always be completely effective, as swarming can still occur if the queen manages to escape through other openings or if the hive becomes overcrowded.
- Concerns with queen excluders:
- Risk of bees getting injured
- Bees may damage their wings when squeezing through small gaps
- This affects their ability to fly and perform hive duties
- Limitations and drawbacks:
- Upper entrances as an alternative route
- Reduces chances of injury
- Allows workers to move freely between brood boxes and honey supers
- Effectiveness of queen excluder below bottom box
- Can prevent queen from leaving hive and reduce swarming
- Swarming can still occur if queen escapes through other openings or hive becomes overcrowded
Addressing Injuries and Swarming with Queen Excluders
Beekeepers are explore ways to address issues related to injuries and swarming caused by queen excluders. One method is to implement upper entrances that can help reduce injuries by providing bees with an additional access point. This allows them to move freely between the brood and honey supers, bypassing the queen excluder.
Another technique beekeepers can employ is placing the queen excluder below the honey supers during the honey flow period. This helps prevent brood from being laid in the honey supers, which would be difficult and time-consuming for beekeepers to remove during extraction. Towards the end of the honey flow, when most of the brood has already emerged, installing the queen excluder above the honey supers can help prevent any remaining brood from occupying these areas.
Debate Over the Use of Queen Excluders in Commercial Beekeeping
The use of queen excluders in commercial beekeeping has sparked a debate among beekeepers. Some believe that queen excluders restrict the movement and natural behavior of honeybees, which in turn may hinder honey production.
Many commercial beekeepers choose not to use queen excluders, as they prefer to let the bees naturally distribute themselves within the hive. They argue that inhibiting the queen’s movement can disrupt the hive’s organization and potentially reduce honey yields.
However, it is worth noting that other beekeepers, such as those at Wildflower Meadows, approach the use of queen excluders in a more balanced manner. They choose not to use queen excluders when placing honey supers, allowing the bees to freely move between brood and honey storage. However, towards the end of the honey flow, queen excluders may be employed to remove any remaining brood before the extraction process.
In conclusion, the use of queen excluders in commercial beekeeping is a topic of ongoing discussion and consideration. While they can serve a purpose in managing the distribution of the queen within the hive and ensuring the purity of honey supers, some beekeepers have reservations about their potentially inhibitory effects on honey production. Ultimately, the decision to use queen excluders in commercial beekeeping depends on individual beekeepers’ philosophies and goals.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the disadvantages of queen excluders?
Although queen excluders can effectively prevent the queen from accessing honey supers, they can create disadvantages for worker bees and drones. One drawback is that bees may construct comb on the excluder, obstructing the passage to and from the honey supers for drones and workers. Additionally, larger drones can get trapped when attempting to pass through the excluder, causing potential complications.
Do all beekeepers clip the queens wings?
While clipping the queen’s wings is a common practice among many beekeepers, it is not adopted by all. Some beekeepers choose not to clip the queen’s wings as they believe it is more natural for the queen to have intact wings. Furthermore, they argue that swarming can be managed through other methods such as proper hive management, making queen clipping unnecessary. These beekeepers prefer to use alternative techniques to mark and track their queens, such as paint markers or numbered tags, which can also indicate the year the queen was produced or identify valuable queens.
Overall, the decision to clip the queen’s wings varies among beekeepers based on their individual methods and preferences. While some find it beneficial for swarm control and identification purposes, others opt for alternative approaches that ensure the queen’s wings remain intact without compromising the overall management of the colony.
Why do beekeepers use queen excluders?
Beekeepers use queen excluders as a practical tool to control the movement of the queen within the hive during honey production. By preventing the queen from accessing the honey super, the excluder ensures that the honey is stored exclusively by the worker bees. This separation prevents possible contamination of the honey with eggs or larvae and allows for easier extraction of pure, queen-free honey from the super. Furthermore, the utilization of queen excluders helps beekeepers maintain a more efficient honey production process, as the concentration of worker bees in the super maximizes honey collection and minimizes disruptions caused by the queen’s presence.
How useful is a queen excluder in a modern bee hive?
A queen excluder continues to be a valuable tool in modern beekeeping. By preventing the queen bee from laying eggs in the honey supers, it ensures that the honey harvested from these supers remains uncontaminated, making it more suitable for consumption. This allows beekeepers to obtain pure and high-quality honey without the presence of brood or queen cells, enhancing the overall efficiency of honey production.
Furthermore, queen excluders contribute to maintaining the overall health and welfare of the hive. By excluding the queen from the honey supers, the bees can focus their energy and resources on honey production rather than raising brood. This can result in higher honey yields and a more organized hive dynamic, benefiting both the beekeeper and the bees themselves. Therefore, queen excluders retain their usefulness in modern beekeeping practices by facilitating honey extraction and promoting a productive and thriving hive.