How to keep drones out of a hive

[irishguy]

A swarm took up residence in one of my empty hives about a month ago. Built up excellent however when I gave it an empty drawn frame with wider cells, the whole frame was drones. When I noticed the frames where all drones, I should have acted then however I left them alone. The hive was building that fast, I had to put a super on(no QE), they also filled out this super very fast so another super was added.

1 frame in the first super had brood etc.. And rest of frames where either cells filled or capped with honey.

Today's inspection ive 4 frames with BIAS in super although its looking like the honey stores are reducing in this super.

2nd super, 2 frames near capped and bees not drawing much wax on the rest.

What my main concern is, I see quite a lot of drones. I removed the drone frame and want to remove most of the drones because i think the little feckers are taking most of the stores. Is there a way I can remove them and keep the rest of the worker bees?

I wouldn't class this queen as a drone layer became all the rest of the frames are worker bee brood. I think its been my own doing! I'm near sure the frame I added was from a hive that turned into a drone layer years previously.

 

[JWF]

I don't think removing the drones will make much difference unless you have a significant percentage of them in the hive.

If you insist on trying to remove them, the only thing I can suggest is to wait for a hot day when you know the drones are mostly out and about, and then pin a piece of Queen Excluder over the entrance. It's a bit cruel because some drones will get stuck and die, but hopefully the majority will fail to gain access into the hive and will try and blag their way into another colony somewhere else. If you've got other colonies in the same apiary all you'll be doing is moving the problem elsewhere!

 

[irishguy]

I don't think removing the drones will make much difference unless you have a significant percentage of them in the hive.

If you insist on trying to remove them, the only thing I can suggest is to wait for a hot day when you know the drones are mostly out and about, and then pin a piece of Queen Excluder over the entrance. It's a bit cruel because some drones will get stuck and die, but hopefully the majority will fail to gain access into the hive and will try and blag their way into another colony somewhere else. If you've got other colonies in the same apiary all you'll be doing is moving the problem elsewhere!

There was to much for my liking TBH. The QE sounds good. TBH, I don't care about being cruel to them. They are going to get threw out to die anyway soon enough so why not just do something now to save all that honey they are taking.

 

[MartinL]

A swarm took up residence in one of my empty hives about a month ago. Built up excellent however when I gave it an empty drawn frame with wider cells.

You mean Drone Cells?

I think its been my own doing! .

Yes!

But not for the reasons you mention.

https://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=671
http://www.bees-online.co.uk/detail.asp?ID=391&name=BS-Deep-Foundation---Per-10-Sheets

 

[oliver90owner]

Nevermind the potential extra varroa loading!

 

[Easy Beesy]

So you gave them the drone frame, they gave you drones and now you are going to kill as many as you can. Is that right? Words fail me.

 

[Madge]

Let your drones be! I'm sure they fulfil a function in a hive's well-being while they're there - and they'll soon be chucked out anyway when that ceases to be the case.

 

[DanBee]

Let your drones be! I'm sure they fulfil a function in a hive's well-being while they're there - and they'll soon be chucked out anyway when that ceases to be the case.

Exactly.

As long as you do not have a drone layer then accept the drones as part of normal colony behaviour. To restrict the entrance with a queen excluder risks blockage due to dead drones, as well as pollen load stripping.

 

[irishguy]

So you gave them the drone frame, they gave you drones and now you are going to kill as many as you can. Is that right? Words fail me.

Right simple! What ya mean words fail you Its like this, i fecked up slightly in the heat of the moment. I have a very busy schedule and made a stupid error. At the time, it was either a frame with foundation or a frame with drawn comb. I took the latter and only realised after the queen had laid eggs in the cells. I thought maybe the bees would sort them out. Lesson learnt! So TBH simple, words dont fail me. Its another lesson learnt. As the aul saying goes, (or something along these lines) An experienced sailor didnt learn in cam waters.
And another thing, Do ya know why they invented rubbers at the end of a pencil, maybe since you go though life without making mistakes you might not know this, i shall let you know this little secret thou. Its because people make mistakes!

TBH, its not like its going to destroy the hive. Simple mistake like this wont happen again!

 

[irishguy]

Let your drones be! I'm sure they fulfil a function in a hive's well-being while they're there - and they'll soon be chucked out anyway when that ceases to be the case.

Sort of agree, however the little feckers are stealing all my honey

 

[irishguy]

Exactly.

As long as you do not have a drone layer then accept the drones as part of normal colony behaviour. To restrict the entrance with a queen excluder risks blockage due to dead drones, as well as pollen load stripping.

Defo dont have a drone layer! Its only on this frame that the drone cells are.

 

[Easy Beesy]

You’re right, words don’t fail me - but the words I do want to use ain’t polite. Btw, It isn’t your honey it’s theirs. The only little fekker stealing Honey here is you, and all of us who take Honey. They don’t give it away. And don’t give me that crap about calm waters - no water ever suffered from a sailer, experienced or not. As you said, you screwed up, so don’t make them pay for it.

 

[Finman]

.
I cut off the drone combs as a part of beekeeping. I do not even need opinions to that. Bees draw the drone combs again into the gap.

 

[Uncle Betty]

You’re right, words don’t fail me - but the words I do want to use ain’t polite. Btw, It isn’t your honey it’s theirs. The only little fekker stealing Honey here is you, and all of us who take Honey. They don’t give it away. And don’t give me that crap about calm waters - no water ever suffered from a sailer, experienced or not. As you said, you screwed up, so don’t make them pay for it.

Fair amount of daylight between your posts and your signature

 

[Uncle Betty]

.
I cut off the drone combs as a part of beekeeping. I do not even need opinions to that. Bees draw the drone combs again into the gap.

Finnie, do you restrict that to a window of time in the year, or just habitually do it in all colonies ?

 

[Finman]

Finnie, do you restrict that to a window of time in the year, or just habitually do it in all colonies ?

I catch mites with drone pupae.
.

 

[oliver90owner]

We don't know the relationship between "uncle Betty" and irishguy. They may be one and the same (mods might want to check it out?) Or perhaps a minority arrangement?

It is now the middle of October. The problem caused by our irish disaster keeper may well have been sorted out by the bees - or will be shortly.

Some may be about to complain that drone culling is as non-politicaly correct as any other culling by humans - whether it be bees, chickens or any other managed commodity. Using weedkilllers on plants, or cutting grass might be the next target practices.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

You’re right, words don’t fail me - but the words I do want to use ain’t polite. Btw, It isn’t your honey it’s theirs. The only little fekker stealing Honey here is you, and all of us who take Honey. They don’t give it away. And don’t give me that crap about calm waters - no water ever suffered from a sailer, experienced or not. As you said, you screwed up, so don’t make them pay for it.

To borrow a phrase "I'll bet you're a lot of fun at parties"

 

[maddydog]

We don't know the relationship between "uncle Betty" and irishguy. /QUOTE]

Transgender alter ego?

What happened to Irish Guy? I'm sure he had plans to set the beekeeping world alight?

 

[Finman]

.

Some may be about to complain that drone culling is as non-politicaly correct.

Drone culling is allowed in EU, but I do not know is it in pet beekeeping.
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