Any Drones or Drone cells in the UK yet?

[dpearce4]

I think part of the drone issue could be the drone culling done to get rid of Varroa, as a way promoted in some publications, as part of the integrated control. I wonder if people are culling to many, I think I may have last year will not do it so many times this year (maybe 1 in 3 lots of drone comb removed instead of 1 in 2).

 

[Suzi Q]

Richard, you might not like my Q's genes! I had a look in some of the drone brood and saw no varroa, so left the rest to develop.

 

[richardbees]

you might not like my Q's genes

Hi Suzi

(difficult to ignore a good double entendre but I shall)

it only occured to me recently that promoting then culling drone cells as a means of V. control might lead to a local absence of drones for mating purposes.
richard

 

[Chorlton Honey Bees]

south Manchester

yes one hive has drone brood plus ive see/heard drones in and around my other hives in the same apairy

 

[raathistle]

Out of 4 colonies I have about 30 drone cells overall, spread across 3. Not very many but at least they're starting

 

[Chris B]

Drone brood in some of the better ones now, some of it capped but none emerging. In fact I've only seen emerging worker brood for the first time today.

 

[TBRNoTB]

I had a little look into some of my hives today and not a drone or cell in site here.
How is it across the rest of the country?

Certainly hope so, I have a capped supersedure cell that will need a little 'lovin' shortly

 

[Into the lions den]

Drone brood in some of the better ones now, some of it capped but none emerging. In fact I've only seen emerging worker brood for the first time today.

Big issues up here. 24th April and not seen ANY sealed brood yet, never mind drone brood. Plenty stores, plenty pollen, patties on to encourage, and most colonies still in tight cluster when lifting the top off. Build up still weeks away.

 

[Stiffy]

Drones flying here, have had a few for last few weeks. Most colonies building well now, joys of living in far SW.
S

 

[gavin]

That must be worrying Murray. Puzzling too. I was thinking of chipping in to say that I saw two sealed drone cells in six colonies (!) on Saturday, but maybe the worker brood is of more interest.

So - six survivors, one loss, plus another really weak (2 frames) Varroa-damaged one which I expected to lose and did. Sealed worker brood in all, up to about 6 frames (not 6 full frames, but some are) with 9 seams of bees. The weakest one has 5 frames of bees and 3 frames of brood. This is at my main site not a million miles from one of yours. Of the survivors, four went to the heather and two stayed put, where they had syrup. All have had fondant* on since the oxalic treatment in December and all are in wooden Nationals.

The LA colonies near Longforgan are very weak but one at least had some sealed brood a fortnight ago when we used it for a display an art student is making. Didn't check the others for brood as it was too cold.

Hope that things start looking up for you.

Gavin

PS These bees get a small boost from snowdrops though there were only a couple of flying days this year despite their very long season. They have been piling in willow pollen recently, now some cherry plum and Scilla too.

* BFP bakers fondant. Either a half or a full 12.5kg box. The strongest has taken the lot.

 

[oliver90owner]

What is everyone's obsession with drones lately?

Never mind grafting, have you ever seen a colony swarm (normally, for the reproductive drive) with no drones in the brood?

 

[PBee]

Not much drone brood here yet - on average queens seem to have started laying around 1st/2nd week in April and rapidly at that judging from the uniform age of the brood.
Average hive has 3/4 frames worker brood (Dadant). Photo taken today ...

 

[Shabro]

Plenty of drone brood on the bottom of some frames in my largest colony this evening, for some reason its light years ahead of the rest.

 

[Excession]

What is everyone's obsession with drones lately?

Never mind grafting, have you ever seen a colony swarm (normally, for the reproductive drive) with no drones in the brood?

That's what I was assuming everyone's obsession was, which seemed pretty pointless. As the presence of drones does not equal swarming.

 

[user 6228]

That's what I was assuming everyone's obsession was, which seemed pretty pointless. As the presence of drones does not equal swarming.

no its not pointless if the logic is
if not(drones) then not(swarm).

i.e out of the 4 possibilities this discussion is founded on 1 combination being invaild rather than two being on the only valid combinations

 

[oliver90owner]

As the presence of drones does not equal swarming.

Really? The point was there will be no early swarming without drones being around. Clearly drones are around all summer (and in most colonies) but not every colony is going to swarm. But, if the colony is not strong enough to support a drone brood population, it ain't gonna swarm.

What is everyone's obsession with drones lately?

Your post appeared to be a question not an assumption. Seemed to me you had not really thought it through and still haven't

 

[Magic munchkin]

Had a look in ours last Saturday and we had a few drone cells in one hive out of 5.

 

[susbees]

That's what I was assuming everyone's obsession was, which seemed pretty pointless. As the presence of drones does not equal swarming.

Indeed.

 

[flemage]

Checked 3 hives in one of my sites no drone at all.

was going to check on further 2 hives which on the face of it have done better but.............the weathers turned again.

cant belive it, rape starts to come out and its cold and wet..........again.

 

[Into the lions den]

That must be worrying Murray. Puzzling too. .

Hoping to get the squad out for a proper look tomorrow or early next week........but with daytime max of 8C forecast and potential for sleety showers its starting to lok as of we will be unwise to break comb until May now.

Just talking to an Inverness beekeeper this morning, and they went through their colonies on Friday and Monday, and only a third of them had even started to lay properly. Again zero sealed brood, and even very few eggs in most. All colonies queenright and queens seen.

Analysis results back from SASA, to where I sent a range of samples from the deadouts. Varroa zero, Acarine zero, Nosema (unspecified as to type) varying from nil to moderate, most were low. Samples are being retained there for any future investigations into other factors that may emerge.

In the light of reports from all over the area you are doing fine.