# Freezing drone brood



## bobbees (Mar 14, 2009)

48 hours


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## icodebot (Apr 18, 2009)

I'm not too keen with the idea of putting a frame of drone brood in my freezer for 48 hours right next to all my food, even if it is covered.


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## Eyeshooter (Mar 8, 2008)

Needs to be frozen 48 hours. Let it come back to ambient temperature before putting it back in the hive so you are not putting a popsicle near the brood.
Wrap it in a large garbage bag if you're worried about putting it next to other frozen food.

John


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## hilreal (Aug 16, 2005)

I placed one of the green drone brood frames in the brood box and checked it yesterday and it was drawn and full of honey!


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## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

I've had that as well. I moved it to the 3 or 7 position (10 frame hive) and they emptied it and the queen started laying in it just fine.


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## DebCP (Apr 4, 2009)

*Moving Drone Brood Frame*

Hello,

I also have had a similar situation. I put the drone brood frame in, but when I checked the hive last week it was full of honey. When you talk about moving to space 3 or 7, do you start counting in the middle or at one end or another? I would like to actually be able to use the drone brood frame to reduce the varroa mite population by freezing it (even though the thought of it in my freezer does creep me out).

DebCP


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## no1cowboy (May 18, 2007)

> (even though the thought of it in my freezer does creep me out).


And yet you will eat honey after it has been regergatated by the bees


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## DebCP (Apr 4, 2009)

Good point-I won't complain about putting brood in my freezer again. Now I just have to get over the idea of eating honey again. Thanks for that lovely visual. LOL


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## dabeekeeper (Apr 20, 2009)

*drone brood freezing.*

If several beekeepers agree to 48 hours then it must be so. I haven't been to a beekeepers meeting in many years.That may be foolish on my part, as a good deal of cutting edge information comes out at those meetings. Mostly the extra time in the freezer at that temp is to kill the mite, not the drone pupae. I have found that mites are somewhat like ticks; very hard to kill.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I'm not too keen with the idea of putting a frame of drone brood in my freezer for 48 hours right next to all my food, even if it is covered.

It's good clean food. High in protein. Practically sterile. I wouldn't think twice about it...


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## 555JM (Feb 18, 2009)

If you pull the drone frame out and it's full of honey, can you use (extract) the honey? I've noticed that the green drone frames I just bought have a different smell to them. Wondering if something has been added to either encourage drone brood or kill mites...?
Bob


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

I've heard some people hang the drone frame in a tree for the birds to clean it out, instead of freezing it. I haven't tried it yet.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

You can just cut the drone brood out (assuming you have a frame and wax foundation) or scrape it off (assuming you have the plastic foundation). If you have chickens they will be thrilled with it.


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