newbee question

SgtMaj · August 07, 2008, 03:55:40 AM

I know you can reduce your drone population and manage varoa at the same time by cutting out or otherwise removing capped drone cells, but that's the only way I know to reduce drone population in the hive. What other ways are there for reducing overall drone population?

NWIN Beekeeper · August 07, 2008, 04:07:26 AM

Diminish nutrition by over trapping pollen.

Its what spurs the drone extrimination each fall.

Expect brood production to drop off as well.

Drone control sounds like a great idea, but they are there for a reason.
And that reason isn't entirely understood yet.
There is a pheromone/chemical balance that regulates the hive.
If you start tinkering with the unknowns, when things fail you won't know why.

SgtMaj · August 07, 2008, 04:12:30 AM

If brood production drops with drone production, then the overall percentage of drones doesn't change much with that method, does it?

rdy-b · August 07, 2008, 06:03:52 PM

Quote from: SgtMaj on August 07, 2008, 03:55:40 AM
I know you can reduce your drone population and manage varoa at the same time by cutting out or otherwise removing capped drone cells, but that's the only way I know to reduce drone population in the hive. What other ways are there for reducing overall drone population?

Reducing drones wont keep varoa count any lower - you need drone larvae to TRAP varoa-if that is your control method -reduce drones and you cant trap -sounds counter productive-RDY-B

SgtMaj · August 07, 2008, 08:41:48 PM

If you don't remove them though, don't they multiply up to 3 times faster in drone larva than worker larva? What I'm thinking is less drone larva, less opportunity for them to multiply as fast... not to mention that the bees wouldn't be wasting quite as much resources raising drones either... ok it's not much, but it adds up over time. But mostly I'm thinking the smaller worker cells don't offer as much opportunity for the varroa to multiply.

annette · August 07, 2008, 09:19:37 PM

Michael Bush told me to just remove 1 frame of drone brood and this would help with the varroa population. I have been doing this about once every few months. It seems to be working for me. You can also use an uncapping fork and scrap the drone brood and look and see how many mites you find. It gives you an indication how bad the infestation is.

rdy-b · August 07, 2008, 11:08:29 PM

believe it or not but the best way to stay in front of varoa is a prolific queen -she will out pace them -intill the days shorten and here they catch up and the ratio changes in favor to the mite -thats when its your Que. to start a soft treatment of your choices -many will say no treatment necessary when certain perimeters are followed -dont bet the farm -the posts will start soon about why is my hive crashing-varoa and viruses they vector are nasty business-drone population will stay inpace with colonies needs -like i said drone trapping is counter productive - 8-) RDY-B

bmacior · August 07, 2008, 11:42:31 PM

The July issue of Bee Culture has an article about outbreeding mites. Being a new beek it's mostly over my head, that and the fact I don't see any mites on any of my bees, I really haven't digested the article.

Small cell foundation is supposed to help with keeping the mite population down as the female mite is only able to lay 1 egg (I think a female) instead of 3 eggs--2 female and 1 male. The mites mate while the cell is capped so the 1 mite has no one to mate with, breaking the cycle.

Barb