Using a Queen Excluder to Confine the Queen During a Honey Flow
Place the frame the queen is laying in with the queen near the center of the bottom hive body. Place three good brood combs on one side of the frame on which the queen is laying (place four good, empty brood combs on the other side of the frame occupied by the queen). Place a frame of honey against the wall on both sides to complete the brood chamber.
Place a queen excluder on top of the brood chamber. Place the other hive body or super used for a brood chamber above the queen excluder, add honey supers above the queen excluder. When the brood has completely emerged above the queen excluder, the bees will fill the chamber with honey. This honey can be used to feed the bees next winter.
Check the brood chamber each week for development of swarm cells. Add supers as needed until the nectar flow ceases. Remove the queen excluder when the supers of honey are removed from the hive. Place the brood chamber filled with honey on top of the bottom brood chamber.
Do not leave the queen excluder on the brood chamber during the winter.