BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > NATURAL & ORGANIC BEEKEEPING METHODS
Differing Opinions on Drone Trapping
Michael Bush:
I have about 20% drone comb all the time. I never cull drone comb or do "drone trapping" If I did I would be selecting for mites that prefer workers. Not what I want. I want mites that prefer drones...
The15thMember:
--- Quote from: Michael Bush on July 19, 2020, 03:44:07 pm ---I have about 20% drone comb all the time. I never cull drone comb or do "drone trapping" If I did I would be selecting for mites that prefer workers. Not what I want. I want mites that prefer drones...
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Thanks for your reply Michael. So you would agree that if there are always drones the mites will stay mostly in the drones?
TheHoneyPump:
IMHO. If mites are present, they are in brood. All brood. The main difference between worker vs drone is the extra time of drones to develop. The drone brood is longer, enough for the mites to get extra reproductive cycles done. In other words, drone brood produces more mites than worker brood. It may appear mites prefer drones because more mites (count per cell) will be observed in drone. I have formed a loose opinion that the observation is more of a factor of the length of development time than it is of mite preference for fat juicy drone brood. Yes, there are more mites in drone brood, in part just because of development time.
I do use drone combs. For purpose of raising drones. I do not cull drone. The bees expend an incredible amount of energy and resources to raise drones. The beekeeper can be more helpful and less harmful to the colony by controlling mites by methods that are much less taxing.
My stance: culling brood, any brood, in effort of mite control is a deception. Brood is bees. Cull and kill the brood, you are killing the bees - making you just as bad and no better for the bees than the mite you are trying to get rid of. Bee friendly, more consideration to other methods (eg caging, brood bank + treat)
Ben Framed:
--- Quote from: TheHoneyPump on August 04, 2020, 01:01:07 am ---IMHO. If mites are present, they are in brood. All brood. The main difference between worker vs drone is the extra time of drones to develop. The drone brood is longer, enough for the mites to get extra reproductive cycles done. In other words, drone brood produces more mites than worker brood. It may appear mites prefer drones because more mites (count per cell) will be observed in drone. I have formed a loose opinion that the observation is more of a factor of the length of development time than it is of mite preference for fat juicy drone brood. Yes, there are more mites in drone brood, in part just because of development time.
I do use drone combs. For purpose of raising drones. I do not cull drone. The bees expend an incredible amount of energy and resources to raise drones. The beekeeper can be more helpful and less harmful to the colony by controlling mites by methods that are much less taxing.
My stance: culling brood, any brood, in effort of mite control is a deception. Brood is bees. Cull and kill the brood, you are killing the bees - making you just as bad and no better for the bees than the mite you are trying to get rid of. Bee friendly, more consideration to other methods (eg caging, brood bank + treat)
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Good post.
The15thMember:
--- Quote from: Ben Framed on August 04, 2020, 02:23:41 pm ---
--- Quote from: TheHoneyPump on August 04, 2020, 01:01:07 am ---IMHO. If mites are present, they are in brood. All brood. The main difference between worker vs drone is the extra time of drones to develop. The drone brood is longer, enough for the mites to get extra reproductive cycles done. In other words, drone brood produces more mites than worker brood. It may appear mites prefer drones because more mites (count per cell) will be observed in drone. I have formed a loose opinion that the observation is more of a factor of the length of development time than it is of mite preference for fat juicy drone brood. Yes, there are more mites in drone brood, in part just because of development time.
I do use drone combs. For purpose of raising drones. I do not cull drone. The bees expend an incredible amount of energy and resources to raise drones. The beekeeper can be more helpful and less harmful to the colony by controlling mites by methods that are much less taxing.
My stance: culling brood, any brood, in effort of mite control is a deception. Brood is bees. Cull and kill the brood, you are killing the bees - making you just as bad and no better for the bees than the mite you are trying to get rid of. Bee friendly, more consideration to other methods (eg caging, brood bank + treat)
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Good post.
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Agreed. Always good to hear your thoughts on things, HP.
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