Drone Culling /w Foundationless

[Eric Conceicao]

Hello all,
I am currently running foundationless at 1 1/4" spacing (32mm). I would like to use drone culling as IPM, and would like to find a way to encourage drone comb building in a specific area so I can enter and remove comb systematically (every 25 days or so). Would a spacing of 35mm or so toward the periphery encourage them to build drone comb on that specific frame? All advice is appreciated (Links to plastic drone frames in continental Europe would help too!)

[Michael Bush]

Yes 35mm (1 3/8") will encourage drones.  Putting the empty frames in at the right time of year will encourage them to build drone comb.  You don't need fatter end bars, though, just space them out more.  Keep in mind, though, you will be selecting Varroa survivors to be the ones the prefer workers to drones... and burning up enough resources to raise a frame of worker brood every time you pull a frame of drone brood.

[Eric Conceicao]

Exactly the answer I've been looking for- thank you.

[Michael86]

I put in foundationless frames too. After two weeks i put them out.  Its a good method to keep the mite population down. In weaker hives maybe the bees building drones and worker combs.

Greetings
Michael

[Duane]

I would agree with Michael Bush.  If you are wanting to change the genetics of the mites, then you could either eliminate all mites which select for drones, or you could encourage mites to select drones.  From what I've read, one wants lots of drones!  They collect mites, and if you have a good hive, they spread that good genetics.  And seems like I recall reading they serve some additional expendable purposes.

The bees want so many drones for the year.   If you are killing them, they will keep on trying and trying.  Let them get it out of their system.  Mites naturally prefer drones.  If you could encourage them to be totally dependent upon drones, then so what if you have mites in your hives.  Might not quite happen that way, but what about the alternative.  What if you were to select for mites which only selected workers?