Comb trapping for Varroa control - When to start?

[SteveG]

Plan to try Comb trapping this season for the first time on several of my larger colonies.
With my Suffolk location any recommendations on when to start the trapping this season making the most of the summer flow?

 

[pargyle]

What ? Are you talking about drone comb culling ?

If so ... the answer is never ....

 

[drex]

I have a foot in both camps. All my double brood hives have a shallow frame in, for them to build drone comb under. Sometimes I cull it, sometimes I don't. It is a good way to monitor varroa though by uncapping the drone brood. I can't make up my mind.
As to timing, the queen is now likely past her peak lay rate, I would think this would apply especially to drones, so I think you are a bit late. This is just from theoretical knowledge and I will defer to those with experience of this.
I am with Pargyle though, I would never want to waste whole combs of brood

 

[Erichalfbee]

The trouble with drone brood culling is that it has little noticeable effect on mite load, the bees don’t like it, they have put an awful lot of effort and hive resources into making them and if you remove them they will make more. Poor bees.

 

[Ian123]

There’s better ways to reduce Varroa numbers and in fairness your to probably late for best results. Personally I’m trying to produce drones not kill them!

 

[SteveG]

Brood Trapping / Queen trapping. Comb-trapping for varroa control was term used on diagram

 

[pargyle]

View attachment 27037

Brood Trapping / Queen trapping. Comb-trapping for varroa control was term used on diagram

So you are going to destroy THREE frames of brood in order to achieve a very dubious result in terms of reducing the varroa load ?

For goodness sake ... spend £15 on an OA pan sublimator or £30 on a Gasvap and that will knock down the mites that are on the bees. Vape three times at 5 day intervals and you will kill around 95% of the varroa in the colony - without affecting the bees and without destroying all their handiwork ...

Is that from a course hand out of some sort ... terrible idea - consign it to the bin.

And what's worse - they are suggesting you do it in July - when the drone production of the colony is easing down ... bonkers ....

 

[sipa]

Plan to try Comb trapping this season for the first time on several of my larger colonies.
With my Suffolk location any recommendations on when to start the trapping this season making the most of the summer flow?

I think you are talking about Queen Caging popular in Italy
The idea is to cage the queen within the colony for 3 weeks after the last honey is removed, thus enforcing a brood break. Once all of the brood is hatched treat for varroa to get the maximum kill rate.

 

[pargyle]

I think you are talking about Queen Caging popular in Italy
The idea is to cage the queen within the colony for 3 weeks after the last honey is removed, thus enforcing a brood break. Once all of the brood is hatched treat for varroa to get the maximum kill rate.

Not if you look at the diagram in Post #6 ....

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not if you look at the diagram in Post #6 ....

Blimey....what a terrible manipulation! Who on earth thought that one up? Three frames of brood.....you could make one and a half nucs up with that. Pity I don't live near....I'd have them all. 12 hives?

 

[pargyle]

Blimey....what a terrible manipulation! Who on earth thought that one up? Three frames of brood.....you could make one and a half nucs up with that. Pity I don't live near....I'd have them all. 12 hives?

I don't know ... I had a look over the internet to see if I could find the source of the lunacy but it must be a cobbled together set of diagrams ... I couldn't find anything like it even in some really wayward beekeepers websites ... wierd.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I don't know ... I had a look over the internet to see if I could find the source of the lunacy but it must be a cobbled together set of diagrams ... I couldn't find anything like it even in some really wayward beekeepers websites ... wierd.

Here you are
https://mbbka.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Sheet_17_Queen_Trapping.pdfAND it's even on the NBU site....word for word

 

[Boston Bees]

I don't know ... I had a look over the internet to see if I could find the source of the lunacy but it must be a cobbled together set of diagrams ... I couldn't find anything like it even in some really wayward beekeepers websites ... wierd.

No, it's a widely used approach apparently, though perhaps not in the UK.

Ralph Buchler covered it in one of his four Honey Show lectures. 35 minutes into this video, for example

Sustainable Varroa Management (Part 3 of 4) Ralph Büchler - YouTube

Personally, I loathe everything about this approach, but that's just me.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Personally, I loathe everything about this approach, but that's just me.

You'll find it's a lot more than just you

 

[WoodenBeam]

That’ll bee a thumbs down then Steve

 

[SteveG]

Is there anyone on the forum who’s tried or is using the system??

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is there anyone on the forum who’s tried or is using the system??

There might not be, judging by the reaction so far
Could I ask why you are even considering it?

 

[SteveG]

There might not be, judging by the reaction so far
Could I ask why you are even considering it?

several zoom presentations by local beekeeping associations. Ralph Buchler presentation at honey show.
The idea is to use the brood break instead of summer treatment. With only the one winter OA treatment. I would only use on very strong colonies, starting a few weeks before the end of summer flow.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Could I ask why you are even considering it?

maybe it's the new 'shook swarm'?

 

[Erichalfbee]

several zoom presentations by local beekeeping associations. Ralph Buchler presentation at honey show.
The idea is to use the brood break instead of summer treatment. With only the one winter OA treatment. I would only use on very strong colonies, starting a few weeks before the end of summer flow.

Thanks...I wondered why. I suppose they do it because they can. Some people devise more and more complicated ways to manipulate their colonies. Me...I'm a simple person and vaping works and isn't intrusive.