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Author Topic: One side of frames all drone  (Read 1435 times)

Offline Smokshootr

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One side of frames all drone
« on: April 16, 2018, 10:45:29 am »
Went into one of my hives, and on two frames, one side was completely drone brood and the other side was full of worker brood. The rest of the frames had a nice normal brood and egg laying pattern. Is this normal to have frames like this with the drone brood covering the entire side of a frame?

Offline cao

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Re: One side of frames all drone
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2018, 11:07:21 am »
Welcome. :happy:

I don't recall seeing drone completely on one side with worker brood on the other before.  But If the bees feel the need to produce drones they will build cells(or rework cells) any place they can find.  This time of year if you put a foundationless frame in the brood nest, the bees will draw drone comb if they don't have enough already.

Were they on the outside edges of they brood nest?  That is typically where the bees like to have the drone brood.


Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: One side of frames all drone
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2018, 12:32:04 pm »
If it is on a foundation less frame I would be very surprised. Bees normally build the same comb on both sides. Did you have some sort of plastic frame?
Jim
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Online Michael Bush

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Re: One side of frames all drone
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2018, 12:51:50 pm »
> Is this normal to have frames like this with the drone brood covering the entire side of a frame?

Yes.  Put it in the outside position with the drones out.  That way when they backfill it with nectar later to keep the queen from laying more drones, it won't break up the broodnest.
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Offline Smokshootr

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Re: One side of frames all drone
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2018, 04:35:39 pm »
The frames both had wax foundation on them. The frames were towards the outside of the box. Just surprised me to see so many drones plus frames so full of capped drone brood. I should probably pull some of the drone brood to check for Vmites?

Offline eltalia

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Re: One side of frames all drone
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2018, 07:06:46 pm »
Not at all unusual at the extents of the BC.
It's what is done after discovery that is of importance.
As part of swarm control I move these up above the excluder.
When setting fully drawn to a BC I place these on the warm side
at #8+#9 positions.

Bill

Offline MikeyN.C.

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Re: One side of frames all drone
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2018, 07:31:36 pm »
Bill,
What is the warm side in ?

Offline MikeyN.C.

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Re: One side of frames all drone
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2018, 07:34:00 pm »
What i should have asked,  what is your warm side.

Offline eltalia

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Re: One side of frames all drone
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2018, 08:00:17 pm »
What i should have asked,  what is your warm side.

Heh.. heh... assuming you are asking about bees an'
not I, personly.
 :chuckles:
Not mine Mikey... the bees.
Not a NH/SH thing so location matters not, local azimith inclusive.

My explain?
When you look at a BC in Plan view the brood nest is not truly conical
as the bees morph the shape towards tbe warmer part of the BC.
So where you see frames at #6, 7, 8, 9 holding brood there is your "warm side".
Conversely for #3, 2, 1 where that is the "warm side".

There is also a clue on how ventilation is working in that colony when looking
at the other 'plane' of the brood nest. Where the shape centres away from the
entrance, favouring the opposite wall, it is highly likely your ventilation is faulty
in not providing warmer air nearer to the entrance.

Problem with "warm" and "less warm" positions is you need the experience first
 - with your bees in their locale - and secondly you have to *look* for it in how
frames develop. It is not just "toss a few frames in and shut the ventilated lid"
as many would have it.
My boxes today (long established) all run 1 X 64mm penetrations which bees
do use in setting ventilation controls. Anytime I shift from that model  - as I h
have had to do in building my Long Langs - I get trouble, as has recently
happened in one Long Lang requiring a rethink on the adaptation of ventilation
penetrations for that design of those hive bodys.
Keeps one interested :-)))

Bill