Hanging Drone Comb Removal

[Swift Nick]

I inspected some of my hives today, of the three one had a lot of drone comb with drone larva in below the bottom bar, hanging down maybe 40mm, the colony already had drones in the population.
Do beekeepers usually remove this extra drone comb when inspecting? To me it would seem a good idea, taking out some varroa with the drone brood.
So far this hive isn't making any swarm preparations, I have two that are.
Thanks Nick

 

[enrico]

Up to you really. No right or wrong answer. I remove frames with only drone brood on.
E

 

[Swift Nick]

Thanks E, I shall remove it as part of the inspection clean up, keeping the frames tidy and hopefully the varroa down.

 

[Swarm]

Why would you want to kill your drones? Drone culling as part of IPM is short sighted to say the least.

 

[Swift Nick]

Why would you want to kill your drones? Drone culling as part of IPM is short sighted to say the least.

I wouldn’t want to kill them if they were required for the balance of the colony, apiary or beyond, but the colony has much drone comb within the boundary of the frames, this is extra hanging below.
I honestly don’t know what is best, this doesn’t seem to be covered in books I have. I have been watching the Norfolk Honey video’s tonight and Stuart, in the videos I watched leaves this hanging drone comb, maybe that’s the way to go?
I am a beginner (3rd season), hence the question.
Thanks for challenging.

 

[Swarm]

I was simply implying that drone culling, though convenient for the beekeeper, is at odds with what our bees would like to see. You are finding drone cells in awkward places because we only give the bees worker foundation to draw.
Maybe the way to go would be a frame of drone comb in each hive.

 

[Swift Nick]

Thanks Steve,
I am still learning, I will look into this, but maybe the Bees know better than me.
Cheers Nick

 

[eltalia]

Nick, look at how come the comb appears in the first place, correct beespace denies
anything else beyond some bridging burr comb.
The debate over drone presence is by nature of our differing understanding of caste both
haphazard and frankly, boring. IF some control over drones is your thing then simply
move that build to the extents of the broodnest in either placing foundationless frames
at positions #2 and #8 (9/10 box) or removing the drawn comb from the lower 2/3 of
those frames. Bees will then build drone comb in that free space.
Help?


Bill

 

[enrico]

Why would you want to kill your drones? Drone culling as part of IPM is short sighted to say the least.

I too wasn't suggesting I do it regularly or for any reason. However we are trying to control our hives, that's why we do swarm control, that's why we give them frames to be easy to look through etc etc. If I come across an outside frame that is all misshapen with just drone brood in then I will swap it for a nice new one. It is part of the way I keep things tidy for me and has nothing to do with the way I keep bees in general. There is always plenty of drone brood in other areas. I.e. I don't do drone culling as part of IPM. I just make things easier for me. By the way.......what does IPM mean!
E

 

[Welshboyarchrr]

IPM = Integrated Pest
Management
Or so I have heard.

 

[Apiarisnt]

Chickenfeed

Good news is that chickens love the drone larvae. Anybody know how to check chickens for varroa?...

 

[citrus]

Good news is that chickens love the drone larvae. Anybody know how to check chickens for varroa?...

agreed ... mine love em !

 

[enrico]

IPM = Integrated Pest
Management
Or so I have heard.

Thanks

 

[Swarm]

Chickens may love them, bees love them a bit more.

 

[thedozzer]

We removed quite a bit of drone comb from the bottom of 4 frames about 3 days before they swarmed, not sure if it was connected or not, but all three seem to have enough drones coming and going so it doesn't look like its made a big difference, the down side is that Mrs Blackbird quite liked all the drone brood larvae and when they had gone she has been trying live bees from the hive entrance!! little bugger.

 

[enrico]

My bird is a robin, it jumps up under the mesh floor and somehow manages to pull the larvae on the floor out through the mesh. Clears up any dead bodies and waits on the roof of the hive next to me during my inspections!
E

 

[thedozzer]

My bird is a robin, it jumps up under the mesh floor and somehow manages to pull the larvae on the floor out through the mesh. Clears up any dead bodies and waits on the roof of the hive next to me during my inspections!
E

Mrs B and a robin follow me round the garden quite a bit, the old Blackbird could be feed by hand and would come in the kitchen for crumbs, its was fine when she was providing a cleaning service, but its when she started hanging of the front board taking the live ones!!

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I’ve had a similar issue with drone cells getting damaged as the top frames are lifted from the lower ones. It bothers me in case a queen cell is among them.
I realised at last inspection a frame of drone foundation or a foundation less frame per box would fix it.
Should have realised before now....

 

[Antipodes]

I was scolded last year for not providing full sheets of foundation for the bees as the beekeeper (somewhat crossly) noticed drone comb in parts of my frames. I confessed quickly that he was correct in that I had used starter strips of foundation on some frames. I was initially stunned at how quickly he had noticed what I'd done and certainly I didn't argue the point or anything as the beekeeper has about 75 years of beekeeping experience. That's years of experience, not his age.

 

[deemann1]

I put a shallow foundation in 1 brood frame per hive they always draw the remainder space in drone comb