removing drone brood

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when people do this to try to keep varroa levels down, do they just uncap or uncap and remove the larvae....never understood if uncapping is sufficient to prevent the varroa development or if complete removal is required

havent done it but i know some put drone foundation in and then dispose of the whole frame etc, my question is more targeted at uncapping drone brood
 
Just uncapping would leave all the varroa in the colony.

The method you are thinking of involves taking the entire drone comb frame out and putting it in the bin (or feeding it to chickens, or melting it, or whatever)

Personally I wouldn't use this method, but many do.
 
when people do this to try to keep varroa levels down, do they just uncap or uncap and remove the larvae....never understood if uncapping is sufficient to prevent the varroa development or if complete removal is required

havent done it but i know some put drone foundation in and then dispose of the whole frame etc, my question is more targeted at uncapping drone brood
You use an uncapping fork and actually fork out the drone larvae - the infant varroa can usually be seen on the actual larvae. I suspect the bees would clear out the larvae if you left them in the comb but as you are already disturbing them why give them more work ?

Personally, although I tried it some years ago ... I don't think it's a very effective treatment and I don't like doing things that upset the normal rhythm of life in the colony - so not something I do.
 
when people do this to try to keep varroa levels down, do they just uncap or uncap and remove the larvae....
Just don't - it's a pretty pointless exercise, does little to reduce varroa but has an adverse effect on the drone population - which are needed for well mated queens.
 
Lots of energy is wasted to raise drones only for them to do it all again to replace them, more stores used up and heat to keep them warm.

And as pointed out killing them off depletes the drone population, not good if you have decent bee characteristic's. One needs to promote the good genes being passed on and not destroying them.
 
Lots of energy is wasted to raise drones only for them to do it all again to replace them, more stores used up and heat to keep them warm.

And as pointed out killing them off depletes the drone population, not good if you have decent bee characteristic's. One needs to promote the good genes being passed on and not destroying them.

Agreed. Should be consigned to history.
 
It is still included in the Defra pdf for controlling varroa as part of IPM.
 
It is still included in the Defra pdf for controlling varroa as part of IPM.
yes, unfortunately the same influences on the NBU that steer other 'not fit for purpose' organisations in the UK
 
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