Drones self feeding.

van from Arkansas · April 24, 2020, 01:01:32 PM

FYI, a little thing.

I have read many times that drones cannot or will not feed themselves. That the drones depend on nurse bees to feed them.

To the contrary, I watched a drone feeding out of a nectar cell during my last inspection. Maybe a unique event and not a typical one???, can?t say for sure. I can say I have seen drones feed themselves. Also, from my experience, caged drones don?t last very long, hours, not days without nurse bees.

The15thMember · April 24, 2020, 01:23:12 PM

I have seen that a time or two as well, a drone with his head in a honey cell, seemingly eating. Maybe they are just investigating the food and not actually eating it.

CoolBees · April 24, 2020, 02:14:49 PM

Don't get me started on this topic! I'd argue with anyone who claimed Drones can't feed themselves. ...

The last few yrs, I've gone to foundationless & unlimited brood nest. What I got was zillions of drones. By itself, that's not really a problem. Except: when you inspect a 7 box high hive, and you find 4 boxes with open nectar, and every frame is completely covered on both sides with drones with their heads in the cells Slurping down the nectar. Meanwhile, the workers are having a terrible time pushing their way thru the mass of drones, to get any work done.... and then you end the flow with 6 frames of capped honey from the hive.

Yes sir - drones can feed themselves just fine, to my observation.

I suppose: that the nectar would have to be of a certain quality/composition for them - then ok.

... and, I could have misinterpreted what I was seeing, but I certainly don't think so.

I bought some queen Excluders for this year - for this very reason. ... so I could get some honey too!

Ugh!

van from Arkansas · April 24, 2020, 02:39:42 PM

Thank you Member and Cool for your input. Cool, I believe your observation, thanks; that affirms my observation also.

Ben Framed · April 24, 2020, 03:17:47 PM

Quote from: CoolBees on April 24, 2020, 02:14:49 PM
Don't get me started on this topic! I'd argue with anyone who claimed Drones can't feed themselves. ...

The last few yrs, I've gone to foundationless & unlimited brood nest. What I got was zillions of drones. By itself, that's not really a problem. Except: when you inspect a 7 box high hive, and you find 4 boxes with open nectar, and every frame is completely covered on both sides with drones with their heads in the cells Slurping down the nectar. Meanwhile, the workers are having a terrible time pushing their way thru the mass of drones, to get any work done.... and then you end the flow with 6 frames of capped honey from the hive.

Yes sir - drones can feed themselves just fine, to my observation.

I suppose: that the nectar would have to be of a certain quality/composition for them - then ok.

... and, I could have misinterpreted what I was seeing, but I certainly don't think so.

I bought some queen Excluders for this year - for this very reason. ... so I could get some honey too!

Ugh!

Just another reason I am using QE this season to keep the drones out of the honey supers along with the queen.

Phillip Hall

AR Beekeeper · April 24, 2020, 05:34:27 PM

Young drones feed themselves, but after they mature the nurse bees do the feeding. That is why the drones hang out at the edge of the brood nest area.

Acebird · April 27, 2020, 09:17:28 AM

Quote from: CoolBees on April 24, 2020, 02:14:49 PM

I bought some queen Excluders for this year - for this very reason. ... so I could get some honey too!

My question is why does the hive have so many drones? I have never used a QE and would regularly harvest two boxes of honey from each hive. Up north anyway.

Ben Framed · April 27, 2020, 09:50:01 AM

I do not know the answer to that Ace. I have been told that going foundationless, they tend to build more drone comb. (Which up till now, I have done). There could be several theories. My experience level is not there.

Phillip Hall

Ben Framed · April 27, 2020, 10:02:49 AM

> My question is why does the hive have so many drones? I have never used a QE and would regularly
harvest two boxes of honey from each hive. Up north anyway.

Ace did you go foundationless while you were in NY?

Phillip Hall

CoolBees · April 27, 2020, 01:44:31 PM

Quote from: Acebird on April 27, 2020, 09:17:28 AM
Quote from: CoolBees on April 24, 2020, 02:14:49 PM

I bought some queen Excluders for this year - for this very reason. ... so I could get some honey too!

My question is why does the hive have so many drones? I have never used a QE and would regularly harvest two boxes of honey from each hive. Up north anyway.

I don't know the answer to that Ace.

Genetics?
Climate?
Location?
Something else?

Wish I knew.