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Author Topic: Drones self feeding.  (Read 1361 times)

Offline van from Arkansas

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Drones self feeding.
« on: 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.

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I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Drones self feeding.
« Reply #1 on: 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.
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Offline CoolBees

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Re: Drones self feeding.
« Reply #2 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!  :grin:

Ugh!
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Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Drones self feeding.
« Reply #3 on: 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.
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I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Online Ben Framed

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Re: Drones self feeding.
« Reply #4 on: 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!  :grin:

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
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Offline AR Beekeeper

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Re: Drones self feeding.
« Reply #5 on: 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.
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Offline Acebird

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Re: Drones self feeding.
« Reply #6 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!  :grin:

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.
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Drones self feeding.
« Reply #7 on: 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
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Online Ben Framed

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Re: Drones self feeding.
« Reply #8 on: 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
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2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline CoolBees

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Re: Drones self feeding.
« Reply #9 on: 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!  :grin:

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.
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