Vita Vydra wrote:
 
> Last few years I gave up this practise because of Varroa.
> Removing of sealed drone brood is an important part of my Varroa
> control and it is very convenient to have all drone brood
> concentrated in only few (2-3) drone combs. It means I have
> to use foundation for other frames.
 
Hello Vita and all -
 
You bring up an interesting point about using drone brood for varroa control. This 
method seems to be a more common practice in Europe. I have been working a little 
with Jan Tempelman on her "varroa control method" that's on her web site that is used 
by alot of beekeepers in the Netherlands and I'm interested in discussing this method 
with others on the list. I've heard others mention in the past when Dr. Pedro was with 
us about using "trap" combs for varroa and was wondering if this is the same method. 
I am taking the liberty to include here, some of what Jan has on her web page, and 
would like to see some input from others about it. My first thought is that most 
beekeepers in the U.S. would not be likely to use such a method as it is labor intensive 
compared to putting in Apistan strips but there are other advantages to the method 
Jan uses. If enough are interested, I could either post the entire contents of Jan's 
page or you can read it off her site.
 
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THE LIST ABOUT THIS WITHOUT FIRST DELETING 90% 
OF THE TEXT!
 
-Barry
 
----------------------------------------------
THE METHOD
 
Here is the method used to kill 95% of the varroa mite in a hive
 
This method is developed by Johan Calis*, Joop Beetsma*, Willem Jan Boot*,
Jan van de Ende**, Aard de Ruijter** and Stef van der Steen**
 
* University Wageningen, The Netherlands, Entomology.
** Bee and pollination research institut AMBROSIUS HOEVE, Hilvarenbeek,
the Netherlands
 
No copyrights. Everything is free to distributed by all media, without
permission of the authors. But they are happy when they are mentioned
in the source .A method without drug or acid/chemicals!!!!! (not so nice
for BAYER and SANDOS, but good for the bees, wax, honey, propolis,
beekeeper, and [mankind??])
 
We call it the Darreraat methode."drone comb method"
 
Introduction
 
Many varroa mites can be found in drone brood. Capturing the mites
in drone brood is nothing new. In fact, it was the first
method used to combat the mites. But since not all mites could
be captured and many mites survive in the worker brood,
this method was relatively ineffective and other methods were
employed..
 
Varroa mites propagate in brood cells. Research from the University
of Wageningen (The Netherlands) has shown that the
Varroa mites are 12 times more likely to enter drone cells versus
worker cells. If all of the mites are on the bees (not in the
brood) it is possible, with a couple of drone cell brood frames,
to catch a high percentage of the mites. Capturing mites in
broodless hives with drone cells frames is very effective. A
broodless period is essential to this method since the mites, all
on the bees, will be caught in the drone cells. 
 
Premise -
 
It is possible, in a broodless hive, to capture an adequate number
of mites (500 cells per kilo (2.2 lbs.) of bees). 
Mites will not exist in brood cells 7 days after the egg has been laid.
The brood cells can be moved before that day
between hives without the risk of transporting mites. 
For a hive to successfully care for a frame of drone brood,
it must have at least 1 brood box. 
 
An overview of the method
 
The catch of the mites in the early springtime:
 
During the first spring inspection, a frame with drone cell
foundation is placed in the middle of the brood nest. This frame is
removed when the majority of the drone cells are closed. Before
the swarm period, one drone brood frame should always be
present in the hive. This way the drone brood frame will be
quickly built and many mites caught. According to research from
The University of Wageningen, it appears that the mite population
will be stable at this point, and not be able to grow.
 
The catch of the mites during the swarming period:
 
In this method sequence, we will work with two hives.
The actions will be a swarm prevention program and during this time a
broodless period will take place so that the mites can be caught.
 
From hive 1 all the brood will be put into hive 2
 
The result is that now all the mites that are left in hive 1
are on the bees and these mites can now be caught by one
drone cell frame. This drone cell frame is made by, one week
before this event, putting one already built drone frame
in the hive. This frame stays in the hive to catch the mites.
them. The new brood of the present queen will be just after
that point closed. The mites are at that time already
caught in the closed drone cells. The drone cell cappings
can be cut off with a serrated knife. When enough drone
cells have been capped (500 cells / 1 kg bees), the fight on
the varroa in this hive is done. 
 
At the moment hive 2 gets the brood of hive 1, one drone cell
frame is put in the middle of the old queens broodnest. After
one week it will be easy to make an artificial swarm without
any brood, with the bees of 6/7 frames and the drone frame.
When the drone celles are closed, removed and cleaned, the fight
on the varroa in this hive is ready.
 
Hive 2 is queenless and a new queen will be raised (brood in all
stadia was present). New queens can be used or selcted queen
from elsware can be introduced. Hive 1 will be the supplier of
new build and "egged" drone frames. Two egged frames moved
from hive 1 to hive 2 (one week between them). Are those frames
closed, removed and cleaned, the fight (or combat/ battle)
(US make movies like the exterminator) on the varroa in this hive
is ready.
 
THE METHOD
 
Condition of the succsesfull use of the method.
 
Strong hives: at the beginning of springtime, the hive has to have
a minimum of one broodbox and one super with bees. 
For each hive, 2 drone frames are necessary. You have to
buy drone foudation and attach them to a normal
broodbox frame. Since you are going the capt the dronecells
and thrust the larve out, it is better to do that with
wired frames. 
 
Discription of the method in sequential parts(index)
 
over wintering 
control, put in cleaned drone frames 
the catching of the mites in the early springtime 
the catching of the mites in the swam protection time 
week by week 
week by week in a table 
control of the effectiveness 
control on the end of the season 
 
Over wintering-
 
During April, inspection takes place. Stong hives have to be made
by combining two small hives.
 
Put in, control and cleaning of the drone frames-
 
You have to buy drone foundation and attach them to a normal broodbox frame. 
The bees will work on the drone foundation to make drone cells. 
- there will be no drone cells (or next to none) on the other frames . 
- worker foundation (attached at the same time) will be built into
    workercells without drone cells. 
- through the catch of the varroa mites, 95% of the varroa will be out of the hive. 
In testing, it appears that most of the drone cells were built and
capped after two weeks. Sometimes it takes longer. It is good to remember:
drone>>> 3 days, egg>>7 days, larva>>14 days, pulpa. 
 
There are three stages you could find on the drone frame. 
-no brood or only eggs. This frame can stay for three weeks in the hive. 
-eggs and larva present. This frame can stay for two weeks in the hive. 
-bias (brood in all stages) can be found. The moment the drones emerge
from the cell on this frame, it can be calculated back to the moment of
putting the frame in the hive and the information obtained on earlier
inspections. Assuming that the first closed drone cells are found, the
frame can stay in for one more week.But keep in absolutely no longer or
the catch method will be a breading method.
 
It's good to write the stage of the broodcells development on the hive
protocol chart. Keep good records! Estimate/count the closed drone cells.
Keep good records, too. How do you remove the larva and pulpa from the
capped frames? A good method is this: uncap the cells with a serrated
knife or your normally used honey uncapping tool, thrust the larve out.
(it is good to mix the drone larva with the chicken feed, they love it!!)
(but our teacher talks about eating them!! Ask him for a recipe, he will be
angry with me) Clean the cells with water, dry it in the air, use it again. 
 
The catching of the mites in the early springtime-
 
During the first inspection, a drone foundation frame is put in the middle
of the broodnest. It is recommended to mark that frame with a
thumbtack/pin and write the hive number on it. If the frame isn't built
out on the next inspection, you should think things over that this hive
is possibly too small. The first frame should then be uncapped, larva
removed, cleaned and dried, and so on. During this period there should
always be one drone frame present in the hive. The process of putting
in drone frames in the hive will continue until the swarm protection program. 
 
The catching of the mites in the swarm protection time-
 
First choose the dates for the swarm protection agenda. Usually in
May, depends on: honeyflow, hive development, personal preference. 
At least 1 week before that date (week 1 in regards to week 2),
place a queen excluder between the two hive bodies with the queen
in the bottom hive body. 
 
Control of the effectivety-
 
Control in hive 1 and the artificial swarm.
 
A hive with one kg (2.2 lbs.) bees ( ± 7 broodframes with bees)
can effectively be stripped of varroa mites with 500 drone
cells, a hive with 5 kg (11 lbs.) bees need 2500 cells. In practice,
this means that the war on the mites in a swarm is
effective with 500 closed drone cells. In hive 1, the largest
percentage of the mites are going to hive 2 because of the
change of the total brood. The mites on the bees will be caught
by the remaining drone frame.
 
control of hive 2
 
Here, the last two frames that are "egged/larva" in hive 1 and
closed in hive 2, are the most essential for the effectiveness
of the method.
 
If 2000 drone cells are closed, the mite problem is settled.
If that number is not reached, then it is necessary to put drone
frames in until the new brood of the new queen will be closed.
The effectiveness must be determined by counting the closed
drone cells. One frame in Holland ( foundation = 198 x 340 mm)
counts 3000 drone cells. One Langstroth deep frame
counts 3225 cells per side, 6450 total frame.
 
control on the end of the season-
 
The number of mites in a hive (during brood season) can be found
by counting them on the bottom sheet in one day and
multiplying that by 50.
 
If there are no more than 10 mites a day, it is not likely that the
mites do measureable harm. 
------------------------------------------------
 
-- 
Barry Birkey
West Chicago, Illinois  USA
[log in to unmask]
http://www.birkey.com