Porter Bee Escape

01 · HOW IT GOES IN

In the crown board hole, springs facing the nest

It replaces the round plug in the crown board hole and works by one-way valves: the bee pushes the springs apart to pass and they close behind her. That is why orientation matters — the exit springs face the brood box, which is where they have to go down to; the entry mouth stays on the super side. Fit it the night before harvest and by morning the super is practically empty, with no smoke, no brush and no stirring up the apiary.

02 · BROOD IN THE SUPER STOPS IT

The commonest reason it «does not work»

Before blaming the escape, look in the super: bees do not abandon brood. If there is even one frame of brood up there, they will stay with it and in the morning the super will still be full of bees — the escape is not failing, it is doing what it can. With a queen excluder properly in place through the season this does not happen; without one, it is worth checking before losing a night. And do not leave it on for days: an empty, warm super is an invitation to wax moth, so fit it, harvest and take it off.

03 · PLASTIC SPRINGS

Check them before you fit it

Worth being clear, because it is what people coming from another model comment on most: on this escape the springs are plastic, not metal as on the classic Porters. It works just the same, but the adjustment is more delicate: the gap between the tips has to let a bee through and not let her back. Too far apart and they return to the super; too close and they jam and none come down. Look at them and set them with your fingers before fitting, and check again each season — it is a ten-second job that decides whether the escape works or not.

04 · BEFORE YOU BUY

This model has two exits, which is right for a normal super with a night ahead. If you work heavily populated supers or want to clear in fewer hours, the catalogue has escapes with 8 and 16 exits, and crown boards that come with one built in. And bear the cold in mind: on chilly nights the bees cluster and go down less readily, so in autumn it pays to allow more time.