Drone layer

[Cowman]

I did my first proper inspection today and found a great big slab of drone brood in the middle of one colony, covering 3 frames. I have come to the conclusion that the Queen is a drone layer. She was a late season split and appeared to be laying quite nicely in September. What would be the best course of action? Too early to requeen them but I would like to make use of the bees before they die out.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

wait for a warmish day, introduce the queen to the gatepost, shake the hive out

 

[enrico]

There is nothing you can do other than combine or shake. Both need the queen removing, the latter is best with all drone brood removed.. had this problem last year.
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[masterBK]

best to feed the drone brood to the birds as it may contain quite a few varroa.

 

[Cowman]

Just done the deed, frustratingly the Queen was quite nice looking and appeared perfectly healthy. I am planning on using the newer comb to give to nucs once the season gets going and putting the ones full of drone brood into a couple of bait hives. Do I need to remove the drone larvae and is there an easy way to do so?

 

[Beefriendly]

. Do I need to remove the drone larvae and is there an easy way to do so?

Yes and yes.Put in garden and let birds eat the brood....a little judicious uncapping if it is all capped but if lots of unsealed let them make hay..

 

[Cowman]

Thanks very much for the advice, this forum is a really useful resource.

 

[robmort]

There is nothing you can do other than combine or shake. Both need the queen removing, the latter is best with all drone brood removed.. had this problem last year.
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When you shake, what do you do with the bees?

 

[Millet]

When you shake, what do you do with the bees?

Shake the bees of the frames and boxes in the middle of other hives and they will beg the way in to other colonies..if you have no other colonies the bees will die once shaken out..

 

[Gilberdyke John]

When you shake, what do you do with the bees?

You don't - they beg their way into nearby colonies if those colonies admit them. Sometimes the guard bees for reasons best known to themselves refuse admission.
For example some bees just smell wrong to the guards

 

[Millet]

You don't - they beg their way into nearby colonies if those colonies admit them. Sometimes the guard bees for reasons best known to themselves refuse admission.
For example some bees just smell wrong to the guards

Begging from shook out hives seems to cause confusion..but it soon settles down..we might loose a few from the battles at the entrance but they soon sort themselves out...