Reading the Varroa Board

[Beefriendly]

Wonderful collection of experts on insect poo.

 

[Millet]

Wonderful collection of experts on insect poo.

I dare not post my picture...mammal poop...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Wonderful collection of experts on insect poo.

Just shows they know their sh!t

(and also the need for good grammar)

 

[Buzzlodge]

This is a very interesting thread on a subject that deserves more attention. Here is a photo of eggs found on a bottom board in winter. In spring, the queen turned out to be a poor layer, laying mostly drone eggs...and the colony fizzled out...

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=16250&d=1543161143

 

[gmonag]

Are you implying that the bees cleared them out because they were drone eggs in worker cells?

 

[Dariusz]

by the way,what is it like crystals flakes? looks like broken glass?
I've spotted this type of thinks on my check boards ,but many many more

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Are you implying that the bees cleared them out because they were drone eggs in worker cells?

yes

 

[SWEET]

yes

Any expansion on this?, papers/links/bit more information (how do the bees know)

Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Any expansion on this?, papers/links/bit more information (how do the bees know)

Thanks

Loads of stuff out there if you search (beyond the usual drivel the badge holders spout )

 

[SWEET]

Loads of stuff out there if you search (beyond the usual drivel the badge holders spout )

Indeed but that is the issue (lots of guff) so any pointers appreciated. I'll be installing the bees into my OBH in Spring, maybe I'll observe them doing this.

For the curious;

https://www.honeybeesuite.com/do-honey-bees-move-eggs-from-cell-to-cell/

It is also known that even healthy queen-right colonies have a background level of laying workers. These workers deposit their eggs in cells whenever they can. But the eggs are soon discovered by other workers (by pheromones, I assume) and are either consumed or removed from the hive.

 

[gmonag]

by the way,what is it like crystals flakes? looks like broken glass?
I've spotted this type of thinks on my check boards ,but many many more

Sugar crystals formed from syrup?

 

[Buzzlodge]

Are you implying that the bees cleared them out because they were drone eggs in worker cells?

Well, defective in some way, either drone eggs or infertile. At the time I searched for references but I didnt find any for discarding ike this. Most (or all) stated that the dud eggs were eaten....

by the way,what is it like crystals flakes? looks like broken glass?
I've spotted this type of thinks on my check boards ,but many many more

The large ones are new wax plates. There is usually an occasional one but if they're actively drawing out comb there can be many more.
I dont know what the smaller ones are, if not wax. The hive was not treated with OA and any syrup fed would have been at least a month earlier.

 

[Dariusz]

thank you very much buzzlodge that's make sense this is my first year never spotted something like this.
i tried to taste this its like "plastic" but not sweet.

 

[oxnatbees]

On this page about half way down are some annotated pictures of hive floor debris. If you click on the pictures, large high resolution versions will open up.

https://oxnatbees.wordpress.com/2017/07/05/inspecting-your-bees-the-low-intervention-way/

 

[Ian123]

thank you very much buzzlodge that's make sense this is my first year never spotted something like this.
i tried to taste this its like "plastic" but not sweet.

Dear god man don’t try that with the brown 1s!!!!

 

[Dariusz]

for some reason i dont like "brownies"

 

[beeno]

This is a very interesting thread on a subject that deserves more attention. Here is a photo of eggs found on a bottom board in winter. In spring, the queen turned out to be a poor layer, laying mostly drone eggs...and the colony fizzled out...

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=16250&d=1543161143

Don't forget that colonies only raise drones when they are on a flow bringing in a surplus. As soon as a dearth sets in they eat the drone larvae and concentrate on producing worker larvae. The protein needs of workers in winter are minimal as they chiefly need carbohydrate to keep warm, so they discard some of the drone eggs.