Lots of drones around

[Curly green finger's]

Morning anyone else noticed that there are lots of drones in the hives this season, whole frames of them mainly in supers but still more than I've seen before.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Supers?
Lots of drones on the outer frames, yes but then there always are this time of year. I have a lot of FF in the hives.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Supers?
Lots of drones on the outer frames, yes but then there always are this time of year. I have a lot of FF in the hives.

No qxs on my single brood.
What's FF?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How did they get in the supers.
I've seen no more drones than usual in all my hives

 

[Curly green finger's]

How did they get in the supers.
I've seen no more drones than usual in all my hives

Above post

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

so are you saying there's frames of solid drone brood up in the supers or just adult drones?

 

[user 20297]

No qxs on my single brood.
What's FF?

Foundationless-frames?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Foundationless-frames?

Checkered first and second supers
They are on there third super, I'm clearing the top ones this weekend. sooner the better in my eyes with a flow on.

 

[Curly green finger's]

so are you saying there's frames of solid drone brood up in the supers or just adult drones?

Solid drone brood frames yes, I will get a photo next time I'm looking at them.

 

[user 20297]

Foundationless-frames?

Checkered first and second supers
They are on there third super, I'm clearing the top ones this weekend. sooner the better in my eyes with a flow on.

.....I'm meaning "FF"...acronym for foundationless-frames.

 

[Curly green finger's]

.....I'm meaning "FF"...acronym for foundationless-frames.

Ok du!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Solid drone brood frames yes, I will get a photo next time I'm looking at them.

If they are solid then the explanation must be that you have drone foundation in the supers?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If they are solid then the explanation must be that you have drone foundation in the supers?

not a great idea when the queen has access to them. I've even found that if you go foundationless in the supers they mainly draw drone cells. In fact even with worker foundation, you put it near the brood and they will draw it out as drone.

 

[pargyle]

About the same level as usual in my colonies .. a good 20% I reckon but I am totally foundation free so it's as I come to expect. I don't use queen excluders and there's occasionally some drone brood and worker brood in the first super when the queen is really on song but what was there at the end of May and early June is now emerged and they are back filling with honey. I think if I had wall to wall drone brood in a super I'd be looking for an explanation and I reckon Dani has hit the nail on the head ... where did the foundation come from ?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Ow dear have I been sold drone foundation?
I'll get a photo when I'm at the work shop
It seems to be the foundation part of the Checkered boxes.

 

[GuyNir]

In fact even with worker foundation, you put it near the brood and they will draw it out as drone.

Seen this in one of my hives this year.

 

[pargyle]

Ow dear have I been sold drone foundation?
I'll get a photo when I'm at the work shop

Rather depends on what you ordered ... some bee suppliers will sell drone cell foundation for supers as there is a theory that you get more bang for your buck in honey with drone sized cells. Have a look at your invoice it should tell you ...

https://bee-equipment.co.uk/products/premium-wax-foundation-commercial-super-drone-unwired

 

[Erichalfbee]

You can easily tell if you look at it in the packet. The cells are much bigger.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Morning anyone else noticed that there are lots of drones in the hives this season, whole frames of them mainly in supers but still more than I've seen before.

These drone laying workers/poorly mated queens are a pain in the butt aren’t they

Sorry couldn’t resist after just throwing out a drone layer this afternoon. Reading on down the thread regarding drone foundation, something I’m never messing about with again. Bought some out of interest and to have a play about with, it’s now mixed all about as opposed to contained in one box, workers are continually moving eggs up above the QX giving drones in supers where this has yet to be replaced.

 

[Curly green finger's]

These drone laying workers/poorly mated queens are a pain in the butt aren’t they

Sorry couldn’t resist after just throwing out a drone layer this afternoon. Reading on down the thread regarding drone foundation, something I’m never messing about with again. Bought some out of interest and to have a play about with, it’s now mixed all about as opposed to contained in one box, workers are continually moving eggs up above the QX giving drones in supers where this has yet to be replaced.

They like messing with us these bees.
Well Im taking from this that there is loads of drones around in the apiarys for Mating