- Joined
- Sep 27, 2012
- Messages
- 1,247
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Dublin ( South )
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 40 Plus
Hi All
This is a topic I find really interesting
Seems to be more importance being attached to these guys recently . It Seems at times are much maligned little guys with a bad Rep... viewed as unproductive and lazy, bar their vital mating role.
Just finished a good book highlighting this , and today in the latest edition of our national bee monthly missal An Beachaire which devoted quite a bit of verbage to highlighting the importance of hives having healthy populations of Drones .
Appreciate the varroa issue of they being able to spend longer sealed with bee brood, but the suppression of drone brood has to be more damaging in relation to genetic diversity.
Interestingly the article in our publication highlighted a study which showed a far greater number of Drones found in DCA' Drone congregation areas in African sites than in European ones. Appreciate the different species of bees on both continents, but the less regimented management techniques employed in African areas in this case might be better re a larger and more diverse gene poll for Queenie to access.
Surely we should be letting the Bees decide as to how much of their colonies they wish to devote to Drone brood ? . Surely foundation stamped only to encourage worker brood is an ultimately negative manipulation of the hive to suit our endgame . Maybe the colonies would be better deciding the ratio of brood that should be worker and drone ?
Or maybe I don't know what I am talking about. , but would love to hear some views ??
This is a topic I find really interesting
Seems to be more importance being attached to these guys recently . It Seems at times are much maligned little guys with a bad Rep... viewed as unproductive and lazy, bar their vital mating role.
Just finished a good book highlighting this , and today in the latest edition of our national bee monthly missal An Beachaire which devoted quite a bit of verbage to highlighting the importance of hives having healthy populations of Drones .
Appreciate the varroa issue of they being able to spend longer sealed with bee brood, but the suppression of drone brood has to be more damaging in relation to genetic diversity.
Interestingly the article in our publication highlighted a study which showed a far greater number of Drones found in DCA' Drone congregation areas in African sites than in European ones. Appreciate the different species of bees on both continents, but the less regimented management techniques employed in African areas in this case might be better re a larger and more diverse gene poll for Queenie to access.
Surely we should be letting the Bees decide as to how much of their colonies they wish to devote to Drone brood ? . Surely foundation stamped only to encourage worker brood is an ultimately negative manipulation of the hive to suit our endgame . Maybe the colonies would be better deciding the ratio of brood that should be worker and drone ?
Or maybe I don't know what I am talking about. , but would love to hear some views ??
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