>>Bees are not wasteful, they make the number of drones that they 
require, artificially removing them, disturbs the rhythm of what the 
bees consider 'normal'.

Absolutely.  Drone trapping is taxing on a colony.  Colonies will 
raise and maintain a certain number of drones in the warm months in 
order to have their genetics well represented in the drone 
congregation areas for local virgins' matings.

If you remove a lot of drones, the bees will strive to raise 
replacements which of course requires resources (material, labor, and 
drone cells).

I know that drone trapping helps to keep varroa numbers in check but 
the idea has little *moral* appeal to me.  I hate achieving a goal by 
sacrificing the troops. :)

Waldemar
Long Island, NY

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