drone brood

[elmandy]

Evening everyone , can any one tell me, if it is normal for bees to remove drone young from there capped cells and discard them outside the hive? I know towards the end of the year they kick out the adoult drones to save food , but do they chuck out the developing drone brood this time of year?, look forward to your replies on this matter . Thankyou .

 

[HM Honey]

Couldnt say whether this is "normal" or not but I have seen this in my hives last year and this....

 

[oliver90owner]

Yes. Why would they continue to feed larvae when food is becoming scarce? Just to discard them as they emerge? Bees are not stupid. Their main outlook for the future is reproduction and next is survival.

 

[eric]

check for varroa ........

 

[Swarm]

At this time of year, when drones are being ejected, it makes perfect sense to discard drone brood.

 

[Tom Bick]

At this time of year it could be that the bees have decided no point in continuing with bees they dont need. As drone brood is often positioned towards the outside of the brood nest and in hives with foundation often confined to the bottom of frames it may have chilled. Finally it may indicate a heavy varroa problem.

 

[eric]

thank you tom ie varroa nobody picked up on that.

 

[oliver90owner]

All sensible beeks will be checking for varroa and more than likely be treating already, I would have thought.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Elmandy I think you should tell everyone, certainly the specialists at your BKA, in case this is varroa sanitation. That exists as a behaviour/ genetic trait and is of course actively sought. The Americans are actively breeding for it.

 

[oliver90owner]

Ahh! So these bees have suddenly become ultra 'hygienic'? If so, doubtless they would not need any other varroa treatment? Let's get real here, not spread fantasy.

 

[Tom Bick]

No not ultra rab but the bees are more inclined to remove drone brood if they think something is wrong with it and I suspect will do more fore sick worker brood as they see this more vital to the hive.