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Queen Excluder Placement

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bobdurivage:
I want to install a home-made queen excluder in by top bar hive. How far in from the entrance should I put it?

Michael Bush:
I would not use an excluder.  Top bar hives vary in dimensions.  I would try to have a minimum of the volume of a ten frame deep box.  To calculate the volume (v) of a trapezoid cross section box:

Take the width of the top (a) plus the width of the bottom (b) divided by 2.  Take that times the height (h) (right angle measurement from bottom to top).  Take that times the length (L). hence:

((((a+b)/2)*h)*L)=v

A ten frame deep is 14.75* x 18.375" x 9.625" = 2609 cubic inches.

So if you figure the trapezoid at ((a+b)/2) * h and take that result and divide 2609 by that number you'll get the length of your top bar where the excluder would go. i.e.:
2609 / (((a+b)/2)*h)=L

moebees:

--- Quote from: bobdurivage on May 29, 2018, 10:13:25 am ---I want to install a home-made queen excluder in by top bar hive. How far in from the entrance should I put it?

--- End quote ---

Exluding the queen from the honey section is pretty easy in a top bar hive.  Move a bar of honey to the end of the brood nest and that should take care of it.

little john:

--- Quote from: moebees on May 29, 2018, 06:29:37 pm ---
--- Quote from: bobdurivage on May 29, 2018, 10:13:25 am ---I want to install a home-made queen excluder in by top bar hive. How far in from the entrance should I put it?

--- End quote ---

Exluding the queen from the honey section is pretty easy in a top bar hive. Move a bar of honey to the end of the brood nest and that should take care of it.

--- End quote ---

Yes indeed - another way is to use a so-called 'follower board' with the bottom 2" removed - the bees will pass around that easily, but not the queen.  That's the Q/X method used in the Bienenkiste Hive design. 
LJ

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