What to do with Frames of Dead Brood?

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Colino
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What to do with Frames of Dead Brood?

Unread post by Colino »

karen wrote: I usually start in the spring by putting any dead out boxes on my big hives, 1 box per hive, to be cleaned up, no sense in making the split or a new package do all that work. I also will put on frames of foundation that I plan to use for splits to get them started. My goal is to make bees over making honey so I want drawn wax so the splits are that much further along. After I have what I need for brood I will add two honey supers. I put on two so the bees have enough space to evaporate the nectar coming in and not back fill the brood area.
Good Morning Karen:
I have a dead out that has some frames with small patches of dead brood. Just to clarify then If I put those on top of my strong hives the girls will move up and clean them? Or should I put them underneath? If I do put them on top, would I leave my pollen patties where they are or move them up too?
Thanks
Colino
Narcissism is easy because it's me or I, Empathy is hard because it's they or them.-Colino
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karen
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What to do with Frames of Dead Brood?

Unread post by karen »

I have a dead out that has some frames with small patches of dead brood.
I do not use the frames with dead capped brood in them. Others may but I don't. Later in the season when the bees are drawing wax sometimes I cut out those patches of dead brood, or you could cut out drone cells, or scrape off in my case with plastic, and the frame are put in the brood nest area the bees will redraw that part of the frame. If the timing is right and it is not on the outside of the brood best they will drawn worker cells. I have down this many times to salvage frames with bad areas. I looked for a picture of one of the frames, dark wax and light wax on the same frame, but I couldn't find one.

I put the boxes on top of the hive and make sure there is a vent hole in the box, just because it gives the bees an easy exit. I put them on top just so they are easy to access when I want to take them off. I put in frames that have dead bees in the cells, not brood, or frames that have been hanging around for a while. I will add foundation if the weather is such that it will get drawn or just put it in to fill the box. The strong hive cleans it all up and freshens it up so when I make my nucs they can get right down to using them. As I said I find bees like comb bees have been on recently.

The pollen patties always go over the brood area so they would go between the boxes, or where ever the brood is.

If Allen gets were he has internet or gets a working phone I am sure he has some experience with this and helpful suggestions.
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Re: What to do with Frames of Dead Brood?

Unread post by Allen Dick »

In package bee days, back when many Alberta beekeepers gassed bees in late summer, they were left with entire boxes of brood in all stages.

In spring, these prime brood chambers were returned to service, but not used as brood chambers for installing packages. Instead, they were used as seconds, placed on hives after the first box was full of bees and brood and ready for another in mid-to-late May or early June, depending on the year.

Personally, I find that most deadouts these days have little brood, but I avoid using deadouts for early splits or for packages. I try to wait until the weather is settled and populations are large. At such times, the colonies can handle such tasks with no apparent setbacks or affect on health.

Earlier, I am concerned that the lesser populations and more marginal conditions could combine to affect colony well-being.
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51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
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karen
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Re: What to do with Frames of Dead Brood?

Unread post by karen »

I do not use the frames with dead capped brood in them.
I should of said if I do not know why the bees are dead I do not use dead brood frames. In Allen's case they killed the bees so they know why they are dead.

It is recommended by our bee inspector not to and I have so few that will have brood in them from winter dead outs that I don't mind throwing the few out , cutting out the area with the dead brood or if plastic scraping them down.
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Re: What to do with Frames of Dead Brood?

Unread post by Allen Dick »

Makes sense. Anything that is a burden to our bees is something we should worry about.

Did I ever mention that I am a cheapskate?

Sometimes that pays of and sometimes it costs...
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
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