There has been some discussion about the possible future use of drone
pheromones to act as varroa traps.

I wonder what would happen if an artificial pheromone source was
inserted inside a working colony.  Some considerable care might be
needed to avoid disruption of the normal colony operation.

A number of related questions come to mind.  For example, what is the
current understanding of the role of pheromones in determining the
number of drones reared in a colony? (There must be some powerful
factors at work since small colonies are generally most unlikely to rear
drones at all.  I have first hand experience of an observation colony
that put up queen cells in response to overcrowding, but there were
still no, or at best very few, drone cells present.)

What is the exact role of  drone pheromones in a colony?  Is this what
guides the workers to feed the grubs and then to seal them in at the
correct age?  If so would a artificial source interfere with this?



Regards
--
Mike Rowbottom

HARROGATE
North Yorkshire
HG1 2PY
UK