Big grubs in brace comb.

[Griffo]

I carried out a first inspection of the year yesterday. I have a brood and a half with the half on the bottom and as I was removing one of the middle frames from the top box, I found it had been quite well attached at the base with what I assumed was brace comb. Anyway, I pulled it out and found that the brace comb contained several rather large larvae. They were probably over a quarter of an inch and fat little beggars. I'm a bit worried in case they were queen cells, but maybe they were drones ? They certainly weren't in what you would say was a proper queen cell. Can somebody give me an idea on relative sizes please ?
The hive does otherwise seem to be going well and I have a Super on which they are filling up.

 

[ellypatt]

Probably drones, lying horizontal to the ground, next to one another. Queens would be hanging vertically and usually apart from one another.
Bees will often build drone comb at the base of frames, especially where worker size foundation had been used.
Pic of drone come under a shallow frame in a deep box.

 

[enrico]

Definitely drones, turn you brood at right angles to the half, you will get less of the brace comb being joined to the frame underneath, is the bottom beespace correct on the bb?

 

[Griffo]

Many thanks, no need to panic then !

 

[Midland Beek]

Do those that run brood and a half use the super on the bottom during the active season?

 

[enrico]

I do, and then I don't bother inspecting it. If there are no queen cells in the main box then there is unlikely to be any in the super underneath...... Note the word unlikely!
E

 

[Arfermo]

I do, and then I don't bother inspecting it. If there are no queen cells in the main box then there is unlikely to be any in the super underneath...... Note the word unlikely!
E

Ditto

 

[yellowrage 53]

I carried out a first inspection of the year yesterday. I have a brood and a half with the half on the bottom and as I was removing one of the middle frames from the top box, I found it had been quite well attached at the base with what I assumed was brace comb. Anyway, I pulled it out and found that the brace comb contained several rather large larvae. They were probably over a quarter of an inch and fat little beggars. I'm a bit worried in case they were queen cells, but maybe they were drones ? They certainly weren't in what you would say was a proper queen cell. Can somebody give me an idea on relative sizes please ?
The hive does otherwise seem to be going well and I have a Super on which they are filling up.

ok i did the same but my one's was between top of fames and the q/e whot are these ?

 

[Nige.Coll]

The size of drone larvae surprised me too.

 

[enrico]

ok i did the same but my one's was between top of fames and the q/e whot are these ?

Still drones, they will put them in any brace comb! Honestly, don't worry!
E

 

[Nige.Coll]

Still drones, they will put them in any brace comb! Honestly, don't worry!
E

 

[leonotron]

Still drones, they will put them in any brace comb! Honestly, don't worry!
E

Is it worth removing this brace comb to reduce the number of drones/varoa in the hive?

 

[yellowrage 53]

Still drones, they will put them in any brace comb! Honestly, don't worry!
E

thank you

 

[enrico]

Is it worth removing this brace comb to reduce the number of drones/varoa in the hive?

You can, but no need, they will only put it back again! Don't forget drones are necessary
E

 

[leonotron]

Yeah, I know they are necessary. Just wondering if a colony could do with less and if removing some might be good.

 

[enrico]

I would suggest it is only good for checking the varroa but not necessarily good to remove them just for removing them if you see what I mean!
E

 

[leonotron]

Yeah, I understand. I removed some at the weekend. Was placing a brood box on top of a super and there wasn't enough clearance. I did go through them to check varoa. Found some with one mite and some with none.

 

[Griffo]

My mentor came up yesterday and we had a good look inside and they are definitely drone grubs. No sign of varroa on the ones I have looked at. In the notes I have on brood and a half I haven't seen any mention of using a QE between the boxes. The queen is proving to be quite elusive at the moment, there is brood in both boxes so she must be moving about a bit.

 

[enrico]

My mentor came up yesterday and we had a good look inside and they are definitely drone grubs. No sign of varroa on the ones I have looked at. In the notes I have on brood and a half I haven't seen any mention of using a QE between the boxes. The queen is proving to be quite elusive at the moment, there is brood in both boxes so she must be moving about a bit.

Urrrr! Where does the QE between the box' s come from? You don't want one between your brood and your half brood, I am a bit confused
E

 

[BeeJayBee]

My mentor came up yesterday ... In the notes I have on brood and a half I haven't seen any mention of using a QE between the boxes.

Urrrr! Where does the QE between the box' s come from? You don't want one between your brood and your half brood, I am a bit confused

For brood and a half you use a 'brood' box and a 'shallow' box for the brood area. A queen excluder would go on top of the uppermost of these two boxes. Honey supers usually go above the qx.

The QX is to keep the queen out, or to keep her in. It excludes her from an area where you don't want her to lay, it contains her in the area where you do want her to lay.

A QX will also stop drones from moving through the whole area of the hive, because they can't get through it either.