Building drone comb in the super.

[kazmcc]

Helping out Dusty a couple of weeks back, and we had a quick check of the super to see if they had started to fill it. We pulled a frame from the middle and found the bees had built drone comb, about the size of a fist, in the middle of one of the super frames. I have never seen this before. They had been making drones in earnest ( not concerning so though ) can anyone shed some light on this? No eggs had been moved up there, and they hadn't really started to fill the super. Just this patch of drone sized cells. Bees huh?

 

[kazmcc]

Someone told me that they just get carried away when drone production begins in earnest. Who knows! Maybe they had plans to move up some eggs. We will probably never know. Maybe I just answered my own question lol

 

[Moggs]

Warped foundation?


I've had that déjà vu before...

 

[Hawklord]

My supers are full of drone cells, probably because I use drone base foundation. What I do find strange is worker brood in drone cells, not seen it myself but I've heard several say it.

 

[kazmcc]

Warped foundation?


I've had that déjà vu before...

I don't think it was, if I remember rightly the super was already drawn comb. Whatever they were up to, they wanted it that way. Very odd.

 

[Honeybeeco]

The sometimes make drone cells up in the supers, but it doesn't matter if they are for honey, infact drone cells for honey supers are a benefit most of the time.

Was the super above a queen excluder? I ask as you mentioned no eggs getting up there so I'm assuming there's no excluder between the brood and super above it.

Having just seen you reply above, Perhaps the drone comb was already on the drawn frames put up in the super before you saw it yourself and that's where the mystery lays.

 

[Ely]

I use worker foundation for the brood nest but that doesn't stop them making drone cells when they want drones on that foundation. Remember bees are not aware of our desires to to keep honey and brood seperate with a 'honey area' above the excluder and 'brood area' below. It is just a nest to them. They were probably preparing a bigger brood area that they couldn't utilise if you were using an excluder

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Saw a lot of drone cell building on worker foundation in the supers last year - it was in the middle of that massive flow so maybe they were just trying to use less wax but get the frames drawn PDQ for storing, a few of the hives had drawn half and half (drawn and foundation) and begging for another super in three to four days - it was always towards the middle of the frame with worker cells around the edges

 

[YorkshireBees]

If it's the 1st super above the brood area I often find they build it as an extension of the brood nest, especially in Spring. A lot of my 1st supers have honey / pollen arches and polished cells in the middle.

I've seen drones cells and eventually drone brood in supers but I don't really believe that they move eggs more that, as I have been told, there are always a few laying workers in a hive and this is where those eggs came from.

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks guys Makes sense as drone production was in full flow and yes, it was in the super immediately above the brood box and bang in the middle. I clearly need to see more supers lol, as this was new on me. Or maybe I wasn't being observant