# Drone comb traps



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

You mean like drone comb for a mite magnet? I haven't. But if I did I'd paint the top of the bar so I could easily identify it.

You have to faithfully pull it every two weeks to do any good on the mites.


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## Scot Mc Pherson (Oct 12, 2001)

If you forget to pull the frame and the drones emerge, you just increased your mite population by magnitudes.

I might use a drone comb once or twice to get mites in check, but I wouldn't use it as a long term management practice. In a small cell or natural cell beehive, I think once the bees have the mites under manageble levels, they should be able to keep them there. If they cannot do so, then there is something wrong with how that hive deals with them, and I wouldn't want any increase from that stock anyway intentially OR accidentally. So if they can't keep mites under control by themselves, then let nature do her job.

Sometimes the strong needs occasional help, but the strong never need a crutch. Whether that crutch be meds and chems, drone combs, or shakedowns. Practice mite managemnt techniques once or twice to get your bees off to a good start, but then let nature take over after that.

[This message has been edited by Scot Mc Pherson (edited May 08, 2004).]


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## Randy Bagrowski (Jan 29, 2002)

I use drone combs as follows: In the spring ( mid April for me) I put a drone comb into each colony. Three weeks later I take them out and replace them with more drone comb. The capped one's I put in the freezer until needed. I do this all summer until about mid September.

With that said: I won't be doing it this year. It is really time consuming and a pain in the butt! It really keeps mite levels low, except when you miss a brood cycle and the drones hatch. This has happened to me a few times


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