Will they clear out dead sealed brood?

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I am having a senior moment. In my strongest colony I have some sealed drone brood that is very dark. What I cannot remember is whether it is normal brood or a drone sacrifice frame that I gave back to them to clean up a couple of weeks ago. I'm sorry: my records are not that detailed. Would they have cleared out dead drones or might that be the frame with dead drones still in there, and I should pull that frame if they have not emerged in a few more days?

 

[drex]

They will clean out any dead (or faulty) brood. If it was a sacrifice frame, you are supposed to remove it, and then remove the drones once capped, hence taking the varroa with them, then put it back in.

 

[Ruary]

Remove the comb from the frame and destroy it. It probably has varroa mites in the cells. If the brood is dead there is no point in having the comb anyway. The bees can re-draw comb if you need to.

 

[oliver90owner]

As I would guess here, TTLTB removed the frame and froze it to kill all the varroa before replacing.

If they do not need the space they would not necessarily repair/restore/clear it as yet. So no issue of there being live varroa in those cells?

 

[Teemore]

+1 for removing the comb. The majority of my stocks are now stuffing nectar into drone cells and only a small number continue to raise drones.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

As I would guess here, TTLTB removed the frame and froze it to kill all the varroa before replacing.

If they do not need the space they would not necessarily repair/restore/clear it as yet. So no issue of there being live varroa in those cells?

Thanks, RAB. Sorry to have been unclear, forcing a guess. Which was, however, accurate. Thanks for the answer (that they'll pull them when they need the space). If they are indeed the frame I froze (ie no change over a week or so), I'll see how squeamish I feel about whether I leave them in there.

And Teemore, the suspect cells are surrounded by nectar. HOWEVER, having been drawing and laying up beautiful worker comb for the last few weeks (during a strong flow), they just threw a full frame of drones at me again. I'm learning whatever opinion I may eventually form on the drones/swarming link, but whatever, drones are back in my colonies.

 

[Finman]

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Cut off rotten combs....

You may repair the point when you glue a piece of foundation to the hole. Glue it with melted wax...if it is worth to do.

Of course bees clear combs but what idea is to put rotten bacterium mass to be cleaned in thr hive.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

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Cut off rotten combs....



You may repair the point when you glue a piece of foundation to the hole. Glue it with melted wax...if it is worth to do.



Of course bees clear combs but what idea is to put rotten bacterium mass to be cleaned in thr hive.

Thanks Finman. It's just that I can't remember for sure if that's what this is. But I think I should fork them out anyway just in case. Thanks everyone.

 

[Finman]

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Fork and leave rotten combs to bees....why..you should...bees do new combs in couple of days

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

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Fork and leave rotten combs to bees....why..you should...bees do new combs in couple of days

Most of the frame is nectar now. But you're right; if it is indeed brood I have frozen and they did not clear it out it is probably not worth it

 

[Mrs Shoot]

I had some frames totally wrecked by having drone brood all over them (laying workers). Gave them to my chickens who had them cleared out within minutes. Quick wash and now melted down.

 

[Finman]

Most of the frame is nectar now.

; if it is indeed brood it

Cut only the brood point with knife. And you could have cut it before you put it into freezener
.

 

[drstitson]

doesn't sound like this is a colony of hygienic bees.

 

[Finman]

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What ever it is, easy job to handle.

 

[pargyle]

Always being clever on hindsight but what I do is take an uncapping fork to the drone brood and oik out the larvae on the end of the prongs - you can see the varroa come out still attached to the larvae (if there are any mites there of course !) but it does give you a good indication of the varroa levels.

I also tend to keep a 'short' frame in the hive and the drone comb seems to nearly all appear on the bottom of this short frame - dead easy to just cut it off and the fork them well away from the hive.

I don't normally bother about small areas of drone comb in the hive - the bees seem to like a fair number of boys around but I'm not averse to sacrificing them as part of my IPM against Varroa.

Sadly, despite being mite free last year I do have a few mites this year ... but the girls seem to be keeping on top of things and the levels are still very low. (Yes Finman -- I can hear you typing from here - I KNOW they will double in numbers and double again and again and again until I lose my bees - there - saved you the trouble )

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

doesn't sound like this is a colony of hygienic bees.

Thanks, Doc but you have misunderstood me. These drones might or might not be dead; this PPB cannot remember. My question is IF they are dead, will they be pulled, in which case I can forget about them. Or do I need to work it out for myself and possibly pull the frame.

 

[pargyle]

Fork 'em ... Win win situation !

 

[Finman]

Fork 'em ... Win win situation !

Burn the hive!

 

[pargyle]

Burn the hive!

 

[Finman]

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What is so difficult to cut piece of brood dead or alive .....instead that you discuss hours in internet?