Eviction of Drones

[Karsal]

The eviction of drones has begun in a couple of my colonies over the last few days. Presumably the cold snap as spurred on their demise. Two hives had about a dozen or so dead drones on their landing boards.
Wasps still in evidence at the entrances with quite a few bees bringing in small amounts of pollen. Temperature was about 9 degrees and it surprised me at the amount of activity on the two biggest colonies at this temperature.

Oxalic vaporisation has been completed on a five day cycle over fifteen days with significant drops over the first 5 days of 600+ followed by 350 over the second 5 days and finally about 50 on this last count over 5 days. Both large hives similar. Should I do another vape or wait until January?

A third hive has had only about a dozen mites drop over the full treatment of 15 days. This is my most aggressive colony and may be re-queened in spring.

 

[Erichalfbee]

A third hive has had only about a dozen mites drop over the full treatment of 15 days. This is my most aggressive colony and may be re-queened in spring.

I have one of those
I'm keeping the queen.

Should I do another vape or wait until January?

I might be tempted to do another reducing the interval to 4 days

 

[REDWOOD]

I have one of those
I'm keeping the queen.

Should I do another vape or wait until January?

I might be tempted to do another reducing the interval to 4 days

DAMNED IF YOU DO AND DAMNED IF YOU DON'T

I would do one or the other but not both

 

[44Whitehall]

I have one of those
I'm keeping the queen.

Should I do another vape or wait until January?

I might be tempted to do another reducing the interval to 4 days

Out of interest why are you keeping the queen rather than re-queening? I had understood that the received wisdom (oftentimes less well received on these boards, I grant) was that the matriarch of aggressive colonies should be replaced with a friendlier queen, for the good of the beekeeper and to mitigate the spread of aggressive strains.

I'm curious because I am faced by a similar issue and am plotting regicide in the spring.


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[REDWOOD]

Replacing her with a new queen is not that easy with defensive bees. Better to keep her safe incase needed


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[Erichalfbee]

Out of interest why are you keeping the queen rather than re-queening? I had understood that the received wisdom (oftentimes less well received on these boards, I grant) was that the matriarch of aggressive colonies should be replaced with a friendlier queen, for the good of the beekeeper and to mitigate the spread of aggressive strains.

I'm curious because I am faced by a similar issue and am plotting regicide in the spring.


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I have discussed removing her with a couple of my mentors here. It was on the cards earlier. However. They are coping with varroa with minimal treatment and largely because I don't look in often, I suspect, they give me more honey than the others. They are not easy to inspect as they are all up in the air as soon as you take the top off but they don't follow. They were a swarm that I caught in a bait hive two years ago. I still have the same queen. They were split this year but bad weather prevented the new queen mating so I put both boxes back together again.

 

[44Whitehall]

That's interesting. Thanks for the colour. It seems that balance is important, and you seem to be finding it.


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[oliver90owner]

IMO, varroa treatment should be completed just prior to winter bee brooding. They will go through the winter with low losses if the colonies are strong, well provisioned and with winter bees that have not been subject to varroa breeding while pupating.

Varroa tolerant bees are genes to be maintained. Bees with good temperament and varroa tolerance may be possible with careful selection. The fewer inspections may well help with the bees and varroa tolerance. Chris Luck found that one out long ago.

 

[Karsal]

IMO, varroa treatment should be completed just prior to winter bee brooding. They will go through the winter with low losses if the colonies are strong, well provisioned and with winter bees that have not been subject to varroa breeding while pupating.

Varroa tolerant bees are genes to be maintained. Bees with good temperament and varroa tolerance may be possible with careful selection. The fewer inspections may well help with the bees and varroa tolerance. Chris Luck found that one out long ago.

I've had a look at the bottom board today of the aggressive hive and found no dead varroa. I might just split the hive next year rather retain re-queen. Then I'll observe both and see if the colonies continue to be aggressive but have a reduced varroa count. I too have reduced the inspections of this aggressive colony and found no discernible difference and it still produced a super full of honey.

 

[oliver90owner]

both

Rearing one queen from a colony is no way of assessing the progeny of a queen. In fact likely worse than useless. It requires a little more selection than simply splitting a colony into two parts.

Look up simple dominant and recessive genes - even for simpe traits, like Mendel's peas, and you might get the basic idea without needing to apply it to multiple traits.

 

[Beecarer]

Just read this thread tonight, so it seems there is a running trend with aggressive colonies and low varroa drops after treatment, and people want to re-queen these colony's with docile queens and have 1000 mites in the colony?

Is this the twilight zone? no wonder they are practically extinct, they have been bred into it.

 

[Beecarer]

Just read this thread tonight, so it seems there is a running trend with aggressive colonies and low varroa drops after treatment, and people want to re-queen these colony's with docile queens and have 1000 mites in the colony?

Is this the twilight zone? no wonder they are practically extinct, they have been bred into it.

aggressive is incorrect, Defensive its a natural instinct!