In a message dated 23/10/05 05:11:39 GMT Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<I can't stand "shotgun brood" in production  hives!>>



Fair point, but has anyone noticed at what point  the larvae are removed? I'm
getting cells opened and larvae (eventually)  removed, but I'm not clear as
to what's happening exactly. All I can say is that  they're opened when the
eyes are pale purple, at about 14-15 days old. They look  perfectly healthy, with
no sign of discolouration or disease, and are removed  several days after
opening. Unfortunately illness last summer prevented me from  looking into what
was happening more closely. I was seeing the occasional bee  with shrivelled
wings, but once again I was unable to do a proper count of the  fallen mites.
Hopefully I'll do better next year! Mite falls weren't  enormous, but as I was
unable to collect them promptly, and ants do remove them  slowly, any count
would have been meaningless.

    Regards,

    Robert Brenchley

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