PerforatedZincType,PlasticSheetType,ZintecType
TheseareprobablythemostpopularintheUK...Theyaretheleastexpensive,howevertherearemanydrawbacksassociatedwiththem.
Idonotlikethistypepersonally...ThezincandZinteconeshaveasharpburrthatIbelieveinanimpedimenttoeasybeeaccess.Theplasticonesdonotseemtohaveaburr,butthepunchedholeshaveroughandgranularedgesandIbelievethisisasbadasthemetalversionasfarasbeeaccessisconcerned.Anotherreasontodislikethemisthattheyarelaiddirectlyontothetopbars(ofbottombeespacehives)whichcausesagreatdealofpropolisandbracecombaswellascausingalargedisturbancetothecolonyasitispeeledoff.Theplasticversionisalsoslippery,particularlyifpetroleumjellyisusedontheboxmatingsurfaces.AfurtherfactorthatIdislikeisthepossibilityofdamagebothbucklingandtearingthatmakesamockeryofthetitlequeenexcluder.HavingbeensonegativeaboutthetypewhenusedasaseparatorbetweenbroodandsupersIcansaythatitisausefulmaterialintheproductionofgadgets.Thedimensionsofthe'hole'are4.38?mmx18.3?mm.
MouldedPlasticType
ThisisrelativelynewontheUKmarket.Itseemsrobustandcanbeletintothesurfaceofawoodenframesothatatruesinglebeespacecanbeachievedononeside.Thegapappearedlargerthanmostexcluders.ThemeasurementsthatIoriginallytookwerefromascannedimage(providedbyAaronMorris)andindicateda4.9?mmgap...LaterImeasuredonewithverniercalipers(Apl2002)andfoundthattheoriginalestimateshadbeenwrong.Thegapsvariedbetween4.33?mmand4.35?mmandtheslotswere19?mmlong,thicknessofthesheetwas2.6?mm-2.8?mm.
HerzogWireType
Asthewiresareroundandsmoothlyfinishedtheyalloweasypassageofworkerbees.Thewiresarestiffandareheldstronglybythetransverseperforatedstrips.Thegapbetweenwiresis4.22?mm.Thistypeisthemostexpensive,buttomyminditrepresentsthebestvalueformoney.
HerzogWireType
Asthewiresareroundandsmoothlyfinishedtheyalloweasypassageofworkerbees.Thewiresarestiffandareheldstronglybythetransverseperforatedstrips.Thegapbetweenwiresis4.22?mm.Thistypeisthemostexpensive,buttomyminditrepresentsthebestvalueformoney.
DroneExcluder
ThistypeismadeinGermanyandidenticaltoqueenexcluderexceptinthespacingbetweenthewires.
Thereisalsoaflatwiretype.Iwilltrytofinditforinclusionlater.
NeunerDroneExcluder
IamendebtedtoJohn?AtkinsonforsupplyingasampleofNeunergridformetomeasure.
TheinterwiregaponthesampleImeasuredvariesbetween5.2?mmto5.4?mm,butinthemajorityofplacesitisbetween5.3?mmand5.4?mm.Thevariationismainlycausedbywirethicknessvaryingbetween1.6?mmand1.7?mm.Ifindthisstrange,astheGermansusemanufacturingtolerances,atleast,anorderofmagnitudesmallerthanthat.
Theaveragepitchis7.03?mm(18pitches)
DroneexcludercanbemadeinUK,asright,bythespotweldingmethodusingthesamewirepitchasforqueenexcluders,butusingwiresoflessdiametertoincreasethetransparencyforqueensandworkers.
A5.3mmspacingwouldmeanwiresofonly1?mm,whichisprobablytoothinforreliability,but1.4?mmstiffwireswouldgivea4.9?mminterwirespacingthatmaybeappropriatelaterwhenwehavesomebees'resized'on4.9?mmcomb.
Theweldedqueenexcluder,Neunertypeandweldeddronetypearealldrawntothesamescalesothatcomparisonscanbemade.
PlainPlywood
Somebeekeepersprefertousearimmedplywoodboardwith9?mmslotsoralargenumberof12?mmholesaroundtheouteredge.Theworkerswillpassthroughwithoutaproblem,butthequeenwhoisnormallyinthecenterofthenestisreluctantto.(Ifdronefoundationisusedinsupersthenthistypewillnotwork.)
TheDiagramshowsbothtypes.(Ihaveheardofvariantsthathadholesorslotsonlyontwooppositeedges.)
Althoughthequeeniscapableof'going?upstairs'theyrarelydosoandinthisrespectthistypeisofsimilarreliabilitytotheperforatedsheettypes.
Ihaveheardthatsquaresoffertilizersack(heavypolythene),cutslightlysmallerthanthehivearea,havebeensuccessfullyusedinthisfashion.
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WoodandwireType...duringthe1920stherewerevarioustypesofqueenexcluderthathadnarrowpanelsofwiregridinterspersedwithwoodenslats.ThetypethatIhavedrawnisbelievedtohavebeenmanufacturedbyA.I.Rootabout1920.Eachindividualgridwasmadebyplacingthewiresinamouldanddiecastingtheframeandperpendicularstrutsusingazincbasedalloy.Thegridswerethenassembledusinglongitudinallygroovedwoodenspacerswithtenonsontheendsandouterframewoodenpartsthatweregroovedinthesamemannerasthespacers.Theywereavailablewithbeespaceonbothsidesofthegridorwithasinglebeespacetoonesideorwithhalfabeespaceeachside.Thegapwasstatedas0.163"whichis4.14?mm.
