10 Frame Metal Queen Excluder, Galvanized Wire for Langstroth Hives
10 Frame Metal Queen Excluder, Galvanized Wire for Langstroth Hives
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A queen excluder is a grid that sits between the brood box and the honey supers. Its gaps are about 4.2 mm wide, which lets worker bees through but stops the larger queen, so she cannot lay eggs in the frames you plan to harvest. This one is galvanized steel wire in a rolled metal rim, sized for standard 10-frame Langstroth hives at 19 7/8 x 16 1/4 in (505 x 413 mm).
Why use a queen excluder?
Without one, a strong queen moves up and lays in the supers. That means extracting around brood, losing frames to pollen and larvae, and hunting for the queen through more boxes. An excluder keeps the brood nest in the bottom box, makes queen finding faster, and means every super frame is ready to pull the day the flow ends.
Metal or plastic queen excluder?
Wire excluders are rigid, do not sag or warp in summer heat, and last for decades. The galvanized finish resists rust and propolis scrapes off cleanly with a hive tool. Plastic excluders cost less but flex, can pinch bees, and are easy to crack in cold weather. Most beekeepers running more than a couple of hives switch to metal.
How do you install a queen excluder?
Place it flat on the brood box with the rim facing up, then set the honey super on top. If your bees are slow to move up through it in early spring, leave it off until the super has a few frames of drawn comb, then add it. Check the brood box first to make sure the queen is below.
Specifications
| Fits | Standard 10-frame Langstroth boxes |
|---|---|
| Size | 19 7/8 x 16 1/4 in (505 x 413 mm) |
| Material | Galvanized steel wire, rolled metal rim |
| Gap | Approx. 4.2 mm, worker-passable, queen-proof |
Frequently asked questions
Does a queen excluder reduce honey production?
Slightly in some hives, because workers hesitate at the grid early in the season. Once the super has drawn comb above it, traffic is normal. The trade-off is clean, brood-free supers.
Should the excluder go rim up or rim down?
Rim up. The rim creates a small bee space under the super frames; placed rim down it sits flush on the brood frames and bees will glue it down with propolis.
Will drones get stuck in it?
Drones cannot pass an excluder, so make sure there is a top entrance or the drones are below it. Dead drones in the grid usually mean the hive has no way for them to get out.
Does it fit an 8-frame hive?
No, this is the 10-frame size. A 5-frame nuc excluder is also available.
The Yarra Bee Co 10-frame metal queen excluder is stocked in Texas and ships within the US.
