Should I remove drone brace comb in eke?

[BeeJayBee]

Is there any reason why you can't simply remove the empty fondant container, along with the comb, when giving them more fondant? (edit - Sorry, ignore this. I misread the original post)

Yes, I think MM (post 3) got a bit over enthusiastic!

swarm preparations....drone take 24 days from egg to drone and 21 days to maturity for mating, so that's is 45 days....to mating Day

some assuming those dates, they expect to mate a local queen before 12th may

so queen five days in the hive maturing, 8 days capped, your bees should be capping Qeen cells on the on or around the 29th April.(SWARM)...well thats the theory but i bet they swarm sooner as they have not got email in the hive....and the dates never work for me...too many variables and this year...ahhhh

I think it's useful to see these calculations written down.

 

[richardbees]

hive has a floor, 14 x 12 brood box, eke, crownboard, roof. In the eke was a small bit of fondant left but the bees had filled the eke with brace comb which was drone size cells. Why would they make drone brace comb? Should I remove brace comb?

That's the original question.

It's obviously not just brace comb....and by now will probably be a tangle of wild comb with some brood. This has to be removed before bellsbees can proceed with normal hive management i.e. putting on a queen excluder then Supering.

My reference to the queen is because 'bells' should smoke to send the bees down before removing this mess in order to be sure the Q isn't up there.

Looks like at least another week of this cold weather so suggest a constant diet of fondant and Pollen patties...

Richard

 

[Cazza]

Is there any reason why you can't simply remove the empty fondant container, along with the comb, when giving them more fondant? (edit - Sorry, ignore this. I misread the original post)
QUOTE]

Cleaarly the comb will have to be removed but it can take a few minutes to do this and smoke is required, hence the advice to wait until it is warm enough to do so. I have this job to do on one hive but not until a warmer day arrives.
Cazza

 

[richardbees]

TBH I wouldn't wait for a warm day if you're not going to disturb the brood frames but just neaten up on top.

Mine got up to all sorts of mischief last year because I left them alone for too long due to prolonged rain.

 

[Easy Beesy]

I think it's useful to see these calculations written down.

I loved MMs calculations - I'm going to use it in my next QR talk - "this is according to the book - but they're women so they change their mind and just expect you to know!" Boom boom
I can just hear the laughter now.....

 

[bellsbees]

Update to let you all know what happened. About 2 weeks ago I removed brace comb, it was all full of brood and varroa mite, this was fed to the neighbours chickens. The 14 x 12 brood box was full of brood, so on went another 14x12 brood box full of foundation. The hive is now massive 2x 14x12 brood boxes plus a national brood box. On Monday there were playcups dotted around, lots of drones, so I split box and made up a nuc. Not sure I have done the right thing but really do not want them to swarm. Thanks for all the advice, I have loads to learn.