Special Drone Brood Frame - Dadant Blatt

This specialized frame is designed to optimize drone breeding in beekeeping practices, significantly contributing to both pest control and genetic improvement through directed fertilization. Manufactured to standard dimensions, this frame features a notable innovation: it is wired only on its upper half, where a stamped wax foundation is attached, thus providing proper support for the development of worker brood cells.

The lower half of the frame is intentionally left free of wires and foundation, encouraging bees to naturally build larger cells, typically used for drone breeding. This free area stimulates the bees to construct drone comb, which is crucial for various apicultural strategies.

Utility in Varroa Control

The drone breeding in this frame is used as a biological method to reduce the Varroa mite load within the hive. Drones are preferred by the mites for reproduction, and selectively removing drone frames before they hatch can significantly reduce the Varroa population.

Mating Strategies

In queen rearing, this frame is essential to ensure that the bred drones are used in controlled mating techniques. A key strategy is drone saturation: mating stations are created in areas remote from other apiaries, where hives producing selected drones are placed. This ensures that virgin queens predominantly encounter the desired drones, securing superior genetic quality in the offspring.

Frame Versatility

Besides its primary function, the frame can be adapted for other uses, such as queen rearing, by placing hanging queen cups over the bar that separates the two halves of the frame. This allows for greater flexibility in its application within the hive.

This special frame not only enhances the efficiency of drone breeding and varroa control but also facilitates the implementation of advanced genetic improvement programs in beekeeping.