Bees avoiding a honey super placed above a queen excluder is almost always a symptom of colony conditions rather than a mechanical issue with the excluder itself. If your bees are not moving up, it typically indicates that the colony is not populous enough to require the space, or there is no active nectar flow to fuel the production of new wax.
While beekeepers often blame the hardware, the queen excluder is rarely the actual barrier. The root cause is usually a lack of "hive pressure"—the colony simply hasn't reached the critical mass or resource level needed to expand into new territory.
Diagnosing the Root Cause
Assessing Colony Strength
Bees naturally prefer to stay clustered. They will not voluntarily move into a new, empty box unless they are forced to due to overcrowding.
If the brood box below the excluder is not completely full of bees, the colony is likely too weak to expand. The bees must fully occupy their current space before they will perceive a need to move upward.
The Necessity of Nectar Flow
Drawing out new comb requires immense energy. Bees will not begin building on new frames unless there is a significant nectar flow.
If there is no nectar coming in, the bees physically cannot produce the wax needed to build out the super. Without resources to store or wax to build with, they have no reason to cross the excluder.
Techniques to Encourage Expansion
The "Baiting" Method
This is the most effective technique for bridging the gap. You can entice the bees upward by moving two frames of brood from the lower box into the honey super, placing them directly above the excluder.
This draws nurse bees up through the excluder to care for the brood. Once the nurse bees are established in the upper box to tend the larvae, the rest of the colony will follow to store nectar nearby.
Ensuring Readiness
Before adding the super, verify that the frames in the brood box are fully drawn and populated. Adding a super too early dilutes the colony's heat and pheromones.
Wait until the bees are covering the outer frames of the brood box. This density ensures they are ready to "boil over" into the super.
Understanding the Trade-offs
Drawn Comb vs. Foundation
Bees are significantly more reluctant to cross an excluder if they are met with bare foundation.
Foundation requires immediate work to become usable. If available, using a super with already drawn comb drastically reduces the friction of moving up, as the bees have immediate storage space available.
The Temporary Removal Strategy
If you only have foundation and the bees are stubborn, some beekeepers remove the excluder temporarily.
You can let the bees begin drawing the comb first, then insert the excluder once activity is established. However, this comes with the risk of the queen moving up and laying eggs in your honey supers before you replace the barrier.
Making the Right Choice for Your Goal
- If your primary focus is immediate expansion: Move two frames of capped brood into the center of the super to physically draw nurse bees through the excluder.
- If your primary focus is preventing swarming: Ensure the bottom box is completely full before supering; adding space too early to a weak colony can actually stagnation growth.
- If your primary focus is drawing new foundation: Consider allowing the bees to start building the comb without the excluder for a few days, but monitor closely to keep the queen out.
Success relies on managing the colony's density and resources, not just the hardware.
Summary Table:
| Reason for Avoidance | Diagnostic Indicator | Recommended Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Low Hive Pressure | Brood box not fully occupied by bees | Wait for the colony to populate outer frames |
| Lack of Nectar Flow | No active forage or nectar coming in | Provide supplemental feed or wait for natural flow |
| New Foundation | Bees reluctant to draw bare wax through a barrier | Use drawn comb or temporarily remove excluder |
| Isolation | Bees clustered strictly in the lower box | 'Bait' the super with two frames of capped brood |
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