Is it too late to add a frame of drone foundation?

[Arfermo]

Hi Jeff33
Sorry yet another suggestion, If you are so worried about varroa why not just dust with icing sugar once a week for 4 weeks and then see what happens

Waste of good sugar!!!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

The only place for icing sugar is in a sugar roll can or on a cake.....in my opinion

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The only place for icing sugar is in a sugar roll can or on a cake.....in my opinion

 

[Honeybeeco]

An interesting theory was put forward in the convention by a grizzed old beekeeper - everyone is moaning about poor queen matings/failed matings the last few years, what do we need for good mating? plenty of drones - what is everyone doing? sacrificing drone brood in a misguided attempt to control varoa instead of tackling the issue properly and depleting the drone population to dangerously low levels.

That's a really good point to raise JBM, and one many people need to think about and evaluate. It's surprising how ideas change within the bee fraternity as I hear the killing of drones for varroa treatment mentioned a lot at the club meetings and it's surprising how many just follow that idea without thinking of the consequences. On the farm we have a number of hives set up just to be drone hives, so we have a good volume of drones when needed to go to the drones and queens breeding area. I even know of some people who run TBH's simply because they are a good drone breeding tool - so I'm told.

With regards a normal bee keepers hives though, It's worth noting that a hive needs a natural balance of workers and drones at certain times in the year, so by killing drones, we affect this natural balance and the wellbeing of the hive in my opinion. I can honestly say that I think worker bees seem more content when there is a good number of drones in the hive during the bee season.

Andy.

 

[Eyeman]

An interesting theory was put forward in the convention by a grizzed old beekeeper - everyone is moaning about poor queen matings/failed matings the last few years, what do we need for good mating? plenty of drones - what is everyone doing? sacrificing drone brood in a misguided attempt to control varoa instead of tackling the issue properly and depleting the drone population to dangerously low levels.

I'm not convinced that there is that much drone sacrificing going on out there. Perhaps some beginners talk about it and a few others with a small number of colonies actually get around to doing it. I used to do it for a few years in an attempt to keep varroa numbers down so that a late summer treatment wasn't necessary- didn't work for me.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm not convinced that there is that much drone sacrificing going on out there.

No? usually goes hand in glove with sugar sprinklers and there seems to be no shortage of those out there

 

[Tremyfro]

You are right this is talked about and taught as part of intergrated management...and in such a casual way. I don't know about other new beekeepers but I find it difficult to pull out drone bees only to find no varroa anyway. Yes sometimes I have found a few but it does seem a bit cruel...sacrificing so many. Though my chickens enjoyed the bodies.
I did have a new queen which turned drone layer but the colony replaced her. It was amazing seeing all these drones...they were very placid. It made me think that their behaviour must have an effect on the colony.

Anyway....I stopped doing it. Using vapoured OA was so much more effective.

 

[Honeybeeco]

I'm not convinced that there is that much drone sacrificing going on out there. Perhaps some beginners talk about it and a few others with a small number of colonies actually get around to doing it. I used to do it for a few years in an attempt to keep varroa numbers down so that a late summer treatment wasn't necessary- didn't work for me.

Firstly - None of this is not a beginners faulty.

It does go on more than you think, and that's mine and JBM's point - its not a good means of varroa treatment ( and should never be taught as so ) and its not even a good means of identifying the quantities of varroa in a hive, yet go to any demonstration at a bee club and you are 99% likely at one of them see it shown to beginners as such, and then beginners do what all beginners do and thats follow what they have been taught. It does more damage than good I feel.

Lets thrown this out there - All hives have varroa. So ripping apart drone cappings and removing the drones will no doubt show varroa in the cells or on the drones at some point - especially if you keep on ripping them out to look for them until all drone cells are exhausted. What does finding Varroa in a drone cell tell anyone who hasn't be taught the basic fundamentals of what and how to look for Varroa and its affects, in a controlled and correct manner? Nothing.

This leads on to other points where beginners are shown how to do varroa treatments and then just continuing to do treatments at all the shown dates and times through the year without actually being shown and mentored when and how to do them. I'm not one of these who feel over treatment will make super Varroa, but i do recognise that treatments do knock back / slow down a hive when it could be doing what it needs too.

This thread is not the place to go further as it will get heavy with replies i'm sure, and i don't want to scare beginners into conflicted information headaches.