On Thu, 20 Feb 1997 11:54:30 -0500 "<Larry Connor>" <[log in to unmask]>
writes:
>For those of you who have drone-filled colonies in February, check the
>queen's spermatheca. If you don't know how to do this, find someone
>who does.
>Perhaps Dave Knox at Beltsville Bee Lab will check a few.
>I last saw large scale drone production in winter during the winter
>after our
>last bad eastern U.S. winter (77-78). Tens of thousands of queens were
>producing drones. Upon checking, queens had a shortage of sperm in the
>spermathecae.
>Several people trace the matter back to the conditions under which the
>queens
>were mated in the South during the cold winter. There were drones in
>colonies
>at the time of mating, but either they were not producing much sperm,
>a
>reflection of pollen shortage, or their flight was restricted. Since
 
>brood
>in worker cells, and spermatheca checks.
>Oh yes, removing the spermatheca does kill the queen.
>Larry Connor
>Wicwas Press -- [log in to unmask]
>(Ran former Dadant Starline/Midnite program from 1976-1980).
 
Hi Larry,
        Wish I had read this a few days ago. I didn't do much brood
analyzing the last few days The hive were very populous and plenty of
stores in all but a couple of cases. Saw some drones but don't know if
they were this years hatch. Will certainly be more attuned to this the
net time (warm spell) I go into some more hives.
 
                Regards,
>
Alden Marshall
B-Line Apiaries
Hudson, NH 03051
[log in to unmask]
tel. 603-883-6764