[MapleHomestead]

I am a homesteader that is ready to try bee’s. I have been doing research but I can’t find the answer to one question. Why not leave the queen extractor on year round. I live in a cold Utah climate so I would need multiple spare supers that aren’t used for honey. Thanks.

 

[Rod]

If you mean queen excluder? This would trap the queen under the honey stores you have on top. The bees would not leave her thus you would lose the hive if they needed that honey store. In the winter give them no extra (empty) space, as much honey as you can. Letting your queen roam is not any issue at all.

 

[MapleHomestead]

Will the queen not lay eggs in the super and then when do I take off and put on the excluder?

 

[Gypsi]

I don't use queen excluders. I do check frames for brood before extracting honey but the queen mostly stays where she should and some people call queen excluders honey excluders because bees don't like to go thru them to fill the top box.
They usually do eventually. Not worth trouble for me

 

[Rick_Bee]

If you do not have a top vent the atmosphere in the upper box is not suitable for brood, so the queen will not usually lay in the upper box.

 

[Gypsi]

If you do not have a top vent the atmosphere in the upper box is not suitable for brood, so the queen will not usually lay in the upper box.

That explains why my queens don't lay in the top - I don't have top vents