# Drones for food.



## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

So, I have finally done it - drones for food.
Just so it happened, had to cut out a chunk of cross-comb with just capped drone larva.
Not much to loose.

Crashed the comb.
Mixed with fresh honey - tried about 25-30% of extract in the honey mix.
Totally agreeable; just honey by taste; clouded some; more runny (obviously).
Kids did not mind.
Keep in a fridge (freeze long term).
Good stuff (nutrition info is on Google).


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## Greeny (Jun 27, 2016)

I realize it's probably nutritious and resourceful and good for what ails you. 
But.... Eewww!


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

A group in Vermont is making drone brood pate. Seriously. They are.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Greeny said:


> I realize it's probably nutritious and resourceful and good for what ails you.
> But.... Eewww!


Nothing ails me.
This is just an excellent supplement and you can not buy anywhere. 
Does not exist for sale in N. America (is available in E. Europe).
Well, Western beekeepers are tossing away excellent super-food item. 
I am at a loss.

Well, here - fried pig or calf blood is excellent (with onion and salt/paper).
Has to be freshly collected and cooked right away.
I also highly recommend it.
So there.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

One other detail I will toss in - mature guys should be especially interested in this product. 
You consume some amount of male hormones.
Adds strength in a certain, important area.
Seriously.


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

Whatever floats your boat but I gotta say that's odd!


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## msl (Sep 6, 2016)

> Nothing ails me.


agree to disagree :lpf:


> I gotta say that's odd


vs rocky mt oysters, dancing squid, Balut, escargot? 
or eggs? 
how the heck did we get there ? "look!, that just popped out of a birds butt, I am going to eat that!" 
protein is protein, the rest is made up rules in our heads come on fried embryo is a standard breakfast for many !
my wife did enjoy the grafting season and the amount of royal jelly(and I guess larva) I consumed from rolled grafts
so ya,,, I guess I could fish out some drone larvae and down it but for some reason smashed larvae and guts in honey.... yuck lol, and I have cut my own "oysters"  
even as a survival instructor a few decades ago insect larval = gag... incect eggs=down he hatch


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Mind you - all those drone larva eat is honey and pollen AND they don't even poop yet. 
Once pressed and mixed with raw honey - totally fine.
Mind you, the raw honey is full of bee spit and whatever else, anyway.

Let me tell you more - if/when in Mexico, buy those roasted crickets.
Crunchy and delicious. 

I do agree in one thing - I would not eat squirmy worms and larva whole, or scorpions as-is (fried or live).
A bit disagreeable visually (at least for now).

Anyway, this is one reason I do my own bees now days. 
I can eat whatever the heck I want and not worry a bit - all chem-free.

Those who eat hot dogs without thinking much - keep eating (this is what the truly nasty stuff is, just saying).
Think for a minute how they made and what is in them and look up a video or two.
Now, that is eww..


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## kramerbryan (Oct 30, 2013)

I'll have to try it.my chickens love them without honey. I like to pick queen cells and eat them. Very unique taste, I think its the Royal jelly.


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## sesk (Aug 18, 2015)

Some guys from the Moscow forum prefer a roasted drone. You can see in the photo how it looks. They say good against cholesterol. Take a honeycomb with a large drone larva, shake out with sharp movements to the pan. Fry in butter until crisp for a few minutes. Tasty, like a nut.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

I have popped a few just to try it. Newly capped are a lot more palatable than later ones; purple eyed stage is a bit too chewy for me!


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Last year I simply crushed unwanted drones and mixed them with honey (by eye).
Kept in fridge (probably was not necessary, but I did not know my drone/honey proportions - 1:10 is recommended)
Everyone one ate the honey and no one gave it a single strange thought.
Just honey (visually clouded as if when is starts crystallizing).

This year I will do this as a no-brainer - will be harvesting drone from undesired/unknown bees.

PS: ah; i guess i have a pic just above.


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## sesk (Aug 18, 2015)

crofter said:


> ... purple eyed stage is a bit too chewy for me!


...should be more tasty under the motive of Ochi Chernye ...


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## ItsAllBetter (Dec 17, 2018)

Why is it that the disgust that this questing is being responded with only makes me want to try it more. maybe many different ways. 
What other "products of the hive" am I missing out on?


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## ursa_minor (Feb 13, 2020)

ItsAllBetter said:


> Why is it that the disgust that this questing is being responded with only makes me want to try it more. maybe many different ways.


Human curiosity.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

ItsAllBetter said:


> Why is it that the disgust that this questing is being responded with only makes me want to try it more. maybe many different ways.
> What other "products of the hive" am I missing out on?


bee poop.
more a tart flavor.
Best sprinkled on Salads.

GG


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Here is pretty fresh paper on the drone larvae nutrition:

Drone Brood Homogenate as Natural Remedy for Treating Health Care Problem: A Scientific and Practical Approach - PMC (nih.gov)


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

BEE BROOD FOR HEALTH?

The last day of the Congress was occupied by the independent working group on apitherapy and closing ceremonies. The use of bee pro-ducts in human health seems to be on the rise throughout the world. The latest products reported at the Congress were bee brood extracts, produced in Romania, called “Apilarnil®” and “Apilarnilprop®.” Several papers were given on these materials’ effects. M. Ardeleanu and associates from Romania reported on the beneficial results of treatment with these preparations which included increase in physical and psychic activity, and decline of fatigue and depression. Other studies indicated these products were effective for ulcers, arthritis and colitis.

Review of Apimondia congress in Budapest, Hungary 1983. Discussions of presentations under the Apimondia Standing Commissions. (beekeep.info)


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Amazing properties with many potential benefits. If I could get past the thought of eating a grub in a milky substance, I would start eating it as a supplement. 
I wonder if any organizations fighting hunger has thought of encouraging beekeeping to provide people with a source of sugar and protein. Not sure how much drone brood you would have to eat to stave off protein deficiency, but it could help. J


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Finnish bee keepers are already selling bee drone larvae as food - Bug Burger - äta insekter!


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

I wonder how many drone frames they can run per hive. What would the queen do if you made up the entire hive with drone comb? I suspect she would still lay the workers in the larger cells. Hmmmm. J


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Fivej said:


> I wonder how many drone frames they can run per hive. What would the queen do if you made up the entire hive with drone comb? I suspect she would still lay the workers in the larger cells. Hmmmm. J


I think Oldtimer has a post on locking up a virgin queen preventing mating for 3 weeks and they become 100% drone layer. I had one queen that became almost total drone layer. Hard to believe now that I was so slow to twig to the fact that there was some near total frames of bullet nosed capped drones. After I requeened, the workers uncapped and hauled out thousands of drone larvae and dumped them.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

crofter said:


> near total frames of bullet nosed capped drones. After I requeened, the workers uncapped and hauled out thousands of drone larvae and dumped them.


What a waste. 

BTW, drone laying queens are, indeed, a good resource. Again - totally unconventional thinking.

I am trying to pull thru the third winter my main breeder queen - but for the live drones (NOT food this time).


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## A Novice (Sep 15, 2019)

I hope never to be so hungry that a bug or a squirrel looks tasty.

I also am pretty certain that contra Greg, the male hormones taken orally do not show up in significant quantities in circulation. But if it gives you a boost, and you like getting a boost, good for you.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

A Novice said:


> I hope never to be so hungry that a bug or a squirrel looks tasty.
> 
> I also am pretty certain that contra Greg, the male hormones taken orally do not show up in significant quantities in circulation. But if it gives you a boost, and you like getting a boost, good for you.


It is not viagra by any means (not that I even tried viagra to know). 

But as far as I know - they take viagra *orally*.
I have no idea how viagra works, never bothered to look into it.

There are studies to backup what I am saying - as far as drone brood supplement goes.

In general, age-related hormonal level drop has many negative side-effects. Just the energy level alone is worth looking into. We need some energy to even chase after the bees (not necessarily after the girls).


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## A Novice (Sep 15, 2019)

GregB said:


> It is not viagra by any means (not that I even tried viagra to know).
> 
> But as far as I know - they take viagra *orally*.
> I have no idea how viagra works, never bothered to look into it.
> ...


True enough, but Viagra is not a hormone treatment. It blocks a chemical that breaks down the chemical that causes the desired effect. So the desired effect is sustained more easily.

However, in a double-blind study, blue sugar pills were 70% as effective as Viagra.
Drone brood supplement was 68% as effective as Viagra.
(remember, 70% of statistics are just made up)

Not something I have ever been interested in.


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