What are those drones up to in there?

[Lesley Hoppy]

OK - bit of a daft question. Wish I could post it anonymously. After doing a shook swarm, I put a Q excluder underneath and on top of the brood box as per instruction. The drones are therefore trapped in there too.... They cant go out for a fly around, they can't even get up to and into the feeder. SO..... what are they doing and what are they feeding on?

 

[VEG]

well they will die in there if you keep them in too long.

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

So when should I remove the QE from underneath and let them out?

 

[tonybloke]

when she's laying in the new brood box

 

[REDWOOD]

probably busting for a c**p

 

[oliver90owner]

Drones are fed by workers. They do not go into the feeders to feed.

A frame with only open brood is a good idea, then the under Q/E can be removed fairly safely. Cull the first patch of capped brood anyway - most of any remaining mites will be in those first capped cells.

She should start laying in the cells, almost as they are being constructed, so the under Q/E is not needed for long.

Further they are much less likely to abscond anyway, if not in swarming mode, are being fed (so drawing comb), have a warm dry box and haven't been sending out scouts to search out an alternative home. Note, I said 'much less likely'.

RAB

 

[Midland Beek]

I think as soon as the queen has started to lay it is more or less safe to remove the queen excluder. But there is no hurry.