how would this work people for varroa?

[biglongdarren]

as i work for and with myself i get alot of time to think.....today i was thinking that if varroa are attracted to drone cells and i had a drone laying colony.
What if i set the brood box with the drone laying colony on top or below(not sure what would be better) an ordinary colony, and had some sort of fine mesh between the two brood boxes so that the bees couldnt get through but would allow the mites to pass between each brood box,do you think any mites in the ordinary colony would all go to the drone laying colony?.......even more of a thought is if i had a super with the fine mesh on top and bottom and it seperating the two brood boxes and maybe something sticky inside the super to catch the mites as they pass through?
this is only my first winter as a beekeeper so if this is stupid go easy on me please,and if it works please remember my name and where you heard it first..
Darren Northern Ireland.;o)

 

[biglongdarren]

as i work for and with myself i get alot of time to think.....today i was thinking that if varroa are attracted to drone cells and i had a drone laying colony.
What if i set the brood box with the drone laying colony on top or below(not sure what would be better) an ordinary colony, and had some sort of fine mesh between the two brood boxes so that the bees couldnt get through but would allow the mites to pass between each brood box,do you think any mites in the ordinary colony would all go to the drone laying colony?.......even more of a thought is if i had a super with the fine mesh on top and bottom and it seperating the two brood boxes and maybe something sticky inside the super to catch the mites as they pass through?
this is only my first winter as a beekeeper so if this is stupid go easy on me please,and if it works please remember my name and where you heard it first..
Darren Northern Ireland.;o)

and maybe i could face the entrances different ways as not to have drones going in the wrong door?

 

[wightbees]

you can get sticky traps to put under the mesh to catch the Varroa.Also Drones can't go through a QE. I will leave the rest upto the pro's lol.

 

[drstitson]

i think what you're actually thinking about is putting a DLQ in a bottom box (super) then QE and normal Queen in a brood box above.

You would of course need to cull drone brood regularly without fail as otherwise you have a varroa factory rather than trap.

 

[biglongdarren]

i think what you're actually thinking about is putting a DLQ in a bottom box (super) then QE and normal Queen in a brood box above.

You would of course need to cull drone brood regularly without fail as otherwise you have a varroa factory rather than trap.

wouldit be possible to have some sort of drone excluder at the front of the normal hive to stop the drone getting in and passing on the varroa?

 

[oliver90owner]

My questions might be, following on from drstitson's comment about a varroa factory: What is the point of doing this? Where does it lead to? What is the desired result and will this course of action lead to it?

I would think the answers, in order, would be 'none', 'nowhere' and 'not a clue and doubtful if actally there is one'.

Surely two queenright colonies would give a far better outcome, given just a modicum of decent attention?

RAB

 

[Mike a]

I dont wish to be rude as theirs no need but consider what happens to the DLQ after a few weeks with no new worker brood and no incoming pollen & nectar and no workers to tend the hive or queen..

 

[Finman]

.
This time of year it is importat that bees have a tight room where heat stays.

Don't play with those drones. Let the bird pick them from combs.
At least take of drone brood.

Only drone larvae catch mites.

 

[stilllearning]

BLD, you sound just like me, always thinking what if !! i can understand where your coming from, the drone hive acting like a varroa magnet , taking the varroa away from the good colony..i get it. however i dont think it would work, but there's only one way to find out. if your in that situation where you have a drone layer then go for it, why not.......thats the best way to learn.just remember there is no such thing as a bee expert, just people who think they are

 

[wightbees]

And if it all goes pear shape

DON'T TELL ANYONE

 

[blackbrood]

as i work for and with myself i get alot of time to think.....today i was thinking that if varroa are attracted to drone cells and i had a drone laying colony.
What if i set the brood box with the drone laying colony on top or below(not sure what would be better) an ordinary colony, and had some sort of fine mesh between the two brood boxes so that the bees couldnt get through but would allow the mites to pass between each brood box,do you think any mites in the ordinary colony would all go to the drone laying colony?.......even more of a thought is if i had a super with the fine mesh on top and bottom and it seperating the two brood boxes and maybe something sticky inside the super to catch the mites as they pass through?
this is only my first winter as a beekeeper so if this is stupid go easy on me please,and if it works please remember my name and where you heard it first..
Darren Northern Ireland.;o)

BLD, the concept sounds good but I am not sure, I would say have a go and give us all feedback when you have tried it. every one will happily give you an opinion but until some one has a go then no one really knows.

i dont think I would have a drone laying queen though just a normal queen and lots of new foundationless frames with starter strips where workers can make drone comb and the queen can lay.

I have read some where of a double queen hive where there is a brood box at the bottom with a laying queen in and a brood box at the top with a laying queen in and in between supers. the brood boxes being separated by 2 queen excluders. one excluder above the bottom colony and one excluder beneath the top colony. I think what you are suggesting is similar apart from the the fact you are baiting the varroa in the top with drone comb

Good luck if you decide to have a go anyway

BB

 

[Skyhook]

I get the point, but surely sacrificial drone brood is a lot simpler?

 

[Storm™]

Can I ask - I think I already know the answer which is: no one reliably knows. So what actually attracts varroa to bees and specifically drone brood. I have a theory and it wouldn't take too much to varify. But thought I would float the question. Thanks in advance.

 

[itchyhives]

The varroa mite is a natural parasite of the Asian honey bee A. cerana this in more recent times has shifted to the Western honey bee A. mellifera. It is specifically attracted to drone brood because of its longer brood cycle which gives the varroa mite chance to increase its own brood. Also interesting to note that the first varroa egg laid is always male and that like drones they die after copulation, sucks huh, if you see mites on bees there nearly always going to be the females.

 

[Hombre]

. . . So what actually attracts varroa to bees and specifically drone brood?

It is specifically attracted to drone brood because of its longer brood cycle which gives the varroa mite chance to increase its own brood.

Well . . . That may be what makes the drone brood so ideal as a breeding ground, but that is something that the varroa has learned over time and is a preference.

It can only be that pheromones are the attractant and that the drone brood pheromone at a particular age wins out.

It appears that despite breeding a number of mites in the cell, that the average release is 1.1 mites per cell, the remainder dying within the cell for one reason or another.

So anyone noticing 1/10 of a mite running around on their bees will doubtless be reporting it . . .

 

[drstitson]

"consider what happens to the DLQ after a few weeks with no new worker brood and no incoming pollen & nectar and no workers to tend the hive or queen."

as there will be a single entrance below the DLQ box will be tended by workers from the queenright colony ie 2 queens 1 colony.

 

[Finman]

BLD, the concept sounds good but I am not sure, I would say have a go and give us all feedback when you have tried it. every one will happily give you an opinion but until some one has a go then no one really knows.

iBB

That stupid idea again. Really stupid to try such where result is sure, not perhaps tp blackrood but at least to me.

So, you put the drone brood into the hive and rear up the mites in there.


Yes I know, beginners ask what to do and then however do that stupid what they were asking.

Your indepence or ego is not in danger if you try to learn from others experience.

In these weathers the colony is not able to keep alive such amount of brood. IT IS MIDD WINTER NOW GUYS, EVEN IN UK

Last July some started winter feeding and now in February some think that summer is coming.
Spring is coming first.

.

.
.

 

[blackbrood]

That stupid idea again. Really stupid to try such where result is sure, not perhaps tp blackrood but at least to me.

So, you put the drone brood into the hive and rear up the mites in there.

Yes I know, beginners ask what to do and then however do that stupid what they were asking.

Your indepence or ego is not in danger if you try to learn from others experience.

In these weathers the colony is not able to keep alive such amount of brood. IT IS MIDD WINTER NOW GUYS, EVEN IN UK

Last July some started winter feeding and now in February some think that summer is coming. Spring is coming first.

You are funny Finman, jumping to conclusions, who said anything about doing this in Winter? Your mind does work over time.

As for following experienced bee keepers, absolutely but not experienced ego's.

BB