Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: hoku on February 03, 2009, 07:18:43 pm

Title: can bees fit through 1/4" hardware cloth?
Post by: hoku on February 03, 2009, 07:18:43 pm
Im having trouble searching and finding this answer.   thanks.
Title: Re: can bees fit through 1/4" hardware cloth?
Post by: TwT on February 03, 2009, 09:02:36 pm
very easily, they have no trouble going through it, most use it for mouse guards, you will need number 7-8 hardware cloth for bee's not to go through, some go through number 7 but 8 is to small. think I got my numbers right, sure some will correct me if I am wrong, but 1/4 inch bee's will go through with no problem.
Title: Re: can bees fit through 1/4" hardware cloth?
Post by: Michael Bush on February 03, 2009, 10:15:47 pm
Worker bees can fit through #7 if there is a bent wire.  Workers can fit through #6 but it's a squeeze and they can't get pollen through it.  Workers can fit through #5 and it's a squeeze but they can get about half their pollen through it.  Workers and drones can fit through #4.  Some workers will lose pollen just because it caught and popped out, but the won't lose much.
Title: Re: can bees fit through 1/4" hardware cloth?
Post by: Scadsobees on February 04, 2009, 10:08:26 am
I use 1/4" for mouse guards.  Theoretically mice can get through that but its never been a problem for me.
Title: Re: can bees fit through 1/4" hardware cloth?
Post by: mherndon on February 04, 2009, 08:02:07 pm
Can a queen go through 1/4 inch?  I was thinking about using it in an Ulster Observation hive as a queen excluder, just to keep the queen in the top for the kids to see her.

Mark
Title: Re: can bees fit through 1/4" hardware cloth?
Post by: TwT on February 04, 2009, 08:12:41 pm
Quote from: mherndon on February 04, 2009, 08:02:07 pm
Can a queen go through 1/4 inch?  I was thinking about using it in an Ulster Observation hive as a queen excluder, just to keep the queen in the top for the kids to see her.

Mark


SURE!!! any bee can go through 1/4" ,bumble bee's is the only I dont think could.
Title: Re: can bees fit through 1/4" hardware cloth?
Post by: Michael Bush on February 04, 2009, 08:48:37 pm
>Can a queen go through 1/4 inch?

Yes.  In Africa they typically use #5 hardware cloth for excluders.
Title: Re: can bees fit through 1/4" hardware cloth?
Post by: JP on February 05, 2009, 12:03:50 am
My buddy Bailey hasn't chimed in yet so I will speak on his behalf. He had experimented with 1/4" making sbbs cause it was a pain locating #7 cloth. He sent me a picture one day on my cellphone of one of those hives that built completely through the 1/4" with comb extending down and through the hive stand by at least 7-8". It was quite a sight! He has sinced changed over to #7.


...JP