From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 19:17:21 -0800
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Drone Trapping

Hi to all on Biological Beekeeping

Dave Eyre quotes me the following:

> On 17 Feb 2001, at 8:12, deelusbybeekeeper wrote:
>
> > We then coupled this then,with pulling drone brood, by working it to the
> > sides of the broodnest to mimic apis cerana bees, or up into the next
> > higher super to keep raising brood outwards to the top side, and then when
> > the frames were filled with honey, we take to honey house and extract and
> > cull there. New undrawn foundation is always fed into the broodnest between
> > two good layed up frames of sealed brood, for fster drawing and to releave
> > conjestion and thus keep the queen laying. It also keeps the queen from
> > hankering down.

David then replys:

> This has been used for many, many years in Europe to remove Varroa from
> hives. Called 'Drone Trapping' and if used properly in conjunction with
> Drone foundation is the only treatment some bee keepers use for the total
> control of Varroa. Perhaps we begin to see a management control, rather
> than small cell control of Varroa in Dee's yards?
> Regards Dave E.....

Reply:

I think Dave is misunderstanding what he is reading. I have stated this
before under different subject heading also. We do not practice Drone
trapping. We pull drones frames with more than 10% drone brood/cells on any
one frame and reposition to the sides of the broodnest in a honey/pollen
frame position for the brood to emerge and the frame to be filled with
something else.

Sometimes we elevate the frame up into the next higher super, which helps to
expand the brood nest. At the same time still working to the sides and/or up
higher. When the frames are filled with honey, we take to the honey house
and extract and cull the frames there. We are culling honey filled frames,
not farmes with brood. Also, if in a side position, the frame becomes filled
with pollen, we will cull it also. Also in early spring, before brooding up
and stores have been emptied or no brood in, we will cull the empty frames
with more than 10% drone cells on any one frame.

WE DO NOT CULL BROODFRAMES. We work them to the sides or up and out with
culling in the honey house after extracting. I think I said earlier in
another post subject title that the more we cull drone cells/brood frames
with more than 10%, the more the bees seem to want to make, thus always
giving us ample fresh drones for queen rearing.

The practice of Drone culling is a horse of another color, so to speak!

Regards,

Dee