[katmike]

In a healthy hive there is always a little drone brood mostly at the bottom of frames.

I have wondered.... does the queen know when she laying that the egg is drone and knows "ok, this one's a dud, I'll lay it over here with the other duds" and proceeds to lay the drone egg at the bottom of the frame?

Or do the nurse bees move them after they are placed in a cell?

Or who really cares

 

[fish_stix]

Watch your queens laying eggs some time. The queen "measures" the size of the cell with her front legs and then proceeds to lay the right egg. The workers create the cells they think they need; some will make lots of drone comb, some very little. In our mating yard we use a frame or 2 of drone comb in each hive to make sure we have enough drones.

 

[mike haney]

they dont consider them "duds" but neccessary for the health of the hive and wont rest till they have enough-even if they must use "burr" comb to find space.
good luck,mike