Which material is better for a queen excluder: Metal or Plastic? I don't know if matters but I ordered a plastic one.
Also, when is the best time to put the excluder in?
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I use both. For longevity I recommend the all metal version, but both work. There are several occasions when you use a queen excluders: honey supers, queen rearing, splits, etc. The most popular is the to put the excluder on when you add the honey supers. You place the excluder in between the brood nest and the honey supers. Hope this helps.😁
I prefer the metal excluders.
Having used both I prefer the all metal ones (no wooden frame) over plastic as they are easier to clean and i've had colonies fill the plastic ones with propolis which i was told may happen if they can't get through it they'll close it off.