Hello A few weeks back I was asking why my hive was excluding drones. I have a possible answer. The hive was a package purchased this April and installed on drawn comb. I continuously fed the hive sugar syrup and they were consuming it. However I neglected to feed the hive any type of pollen substitute or extender. This combined with the condition of a package after four weeks of being installed could have caused a pollen shortage in the hive. Considering the new workers would have just been emerging. I remember reading, but can't locate where, how a colonies reaction to drones is related to pollen availability. Correct me if I remembered wrong. This scenario could cause a colony to exclude drones. Thomas Martin Shippensburg, Pa :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::