[WayneW]

Finally got to peek in the hive this afternoon. Couldnt find the queen but thats prolly just my old eyes.

Anyway, 2 weeks ago i added a deep frame with a wooden starter strip. Today that frame is 100% drawn and nearly 100% Drones.......... I had no idea they would build drone "frames".

Is this a frame i should remove and freeze to kill off varoa, or should i leave it be.

NOTE: All of the other frames (2 deeps) were drawn nicely, lots of brood with honey and pollen around the edges. Some had a few drone cells here and there, but not entire frames like the one mentioned above. Just curious.

 

[indypartridge]

Is this a frame i should remove and freeze to kill off varoa, or should i leave it be

I'd uncap a dozen or so and check for varroa first. Yes, freezing drone frames is a recognized method of varroa control, but I don't like doing any kind of treatment without first determining if there's a problem.

As for why they'd build an entire frame of drone cells - could be any of a number of reasons. A colony usually has a sense of when to make drones and how many. If your other frames are relatively drone-free, they may have just decided to group all the drones together on this frame since you provided a starter strip. I was in a hive last week that had stuck drone brood in every available crevice. The frames were beautiful, almost drone free, but prying them loose I tore up lots of drone brood they had built connecting the frames in the upper box to the lower box.

 

[BjornBee]

What to do with a bunch of drone larvae?

saute the pupae and serve at the next bee club meeting....

They taste good with a hint of chestnut. Yum- Yum.

 

[PCM_old]

Is it true Japanese Restraunts are looking for fresh drone larva as a asphrilic
[ can't spell it or do it any more, maybe I need some ]

Help,were is spell check & the blue pills ?

PCM

 

[Iddee]

aphrodisiac ????? I prefer the taste of oysters...

 

[1of6]

I've had much better luck getting worker comb when I put my empty frames in teh middle of the brood nest. As they build more, I replace and work them toward the outside. As for the drone frame, I'd keep it. In many cases, the more you remove the more they'll build. Move it out to the outside edge of the broodnest.

 

[WayneW]

I've had much better luck getting worker comb when I put my empty frames in teh middle of the brood nest. As they build more, I replace and work them toward the outside. As for the drone frame, I'd keep it. In many cases, the more you remove the more they'll build. Move it out to the outside edge of the broodnest.

I did leave it in there, and moved it to the outtermost edge of the broodnest........ Kinda figured i'd end up with more drone comb. (hopefully they feel they have enough now).......... This was an empty foundationless frame that i put in the middle of the broodnest. Still got drones......go figure

 

[1of6]

That's ok, you'll get some drone, but when they feel they have enough they should build worker comb.