No Drones......ever

[Aroc]

 One of my hives have never produced any drones all year. It is an observation hive but I still find it odd.

Could it be that there isn't enough room with in the hive to build drone cells?

[Van, Arkansas, USA]

My 2 cents.  Drone brood is initiated prior to reproduction.  Reproduction in this case pertains to swarming, that is hive reproduction, not individual.  Your hive has no intentions of swarming, therefore no drone cells are initiated.
Blessings

[GSF]

ditto what Van said

[BeeMaster2]

I read that it takes a certain number of bees in the hive before the bees start to make drones.  The author did not know how the bees knew how many bees were in the hive but he determined there was a threshold. I forget the number but he did provide one.
Jim

[Acebird]

ditto what Jim said.

[little john]

Agree with what's already been said.  Healthy nuc-sized colonies don't raise drones, and so I'm not surprised to hear that an observation hive hasn't.
LJ

Whoops - just checking:  by "observation hive" do you mean the type often placed inside a building, typically with 2-3 frames ? (that's what I've assumed above)

Or could it be a full-sized hive fitted with windows in the brood box sides ?  I know some Warre hives are built like this, but don't know if Langs and similar are.

[jalentour]

Has the poster been removing frames of brood from the hive?
Just wondering if he was controlling the swarm instinct by keeping the size of the hive low.

[Jim134]

I read that it takes a certain number of bees in the hive before the bees start to make drones.  The author did not know how the bees knew how many bees were in the hive but he determined there was a threshold. I forget the number but he did provide one.
Jim

  This may be what you're looking for. This is actually one of the reasons why. People using 4 frame nuc to draw comb.
I do know 3 Beekeeping in New England that does this . Michael Palmer,Kirk Webster and Troy Hall
   http://honeylove.org/forums/topic/what-triggers-drone-comb-production/
   
   https://blountbees.wordpress.com/tag/drone-cells/

          BEE HAPPY Jim 134 

[Aroc]

Agree with what's already been said.  Healthy nuc-sized colonies don't raise drones, and so I'm not surprised to hear that an observation hive hasn't.
LJ

Whoops - just checking:  by "observation hive" do you mean the type often placed inside a building, typically with 2-3 frames ? (that's what I've assumed above)

Or could it be a full-sized hive fitted with windows in the brood box sides ?  I know some Warre hives are built like this, but don't know if Langs and similar are.

It's a 2x4 wall mounted Lang frame hive.

[Aroc]

Has the poster been removing frames of brood from the hive?
Just wondering if he was controlling the swarm instinct by keeping the size of the hive low.

Haven't removed any frames.  She doesn't have all the frames filled.  The bottom two have yet to be drawn.