The document discusses examining bee combs to determine the condition of bee colonies. It notes that the brood nest is where signs of trouble are often first found, and outlines functions of combs like reproduction, food storage, and orientation points. It emphasizes the importance of proper comb arrangement and discusses signs that can be read from brood patterns like queen quality, food stores, and diseases. It provides examples of damaged and abnormal combs and explains how combs can serve as disease reservoirs.
1. Examining Combs-
What Do They Tell
You?
Clarence H. Collison
Entomologist
Mississippi State University
2. Why Ever Look In The
Brood Chamber(s)?
Are You One Of Those People
Who Never Go Below The
Queen Excluder; Never Look
At The Brood Nest; Assume
Everything Is Well??
7. Functions Of The Comb
Reproduction Of The Colony
Storage Of Nectar And Pollen
Foundation For Establishing The Winter
Cluster
Orientation Point For Communicative Dances
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16. Adequate Supplies of Drawn
Comb Is A Limiting Factor In
Most Beekeeping Operations
19. Damaged Combs
Loss Of Brood Area
Increase In Drone Brood
Increased Difficulty In Uncapping Honey
20.
21.
22. Why Examine Brood
Patterns?
Overall Condition Of The Colony
Presence Or Absence Of A Queen
Quality Of A Queen
Availability of Fresh Nectar And Food Stores
Checking For Bee Diseases/Varroa Mites
Colony Strength
Inclination To Swarm
Population Balance
23.
24. QUEENLESSNESS!
• How to Recognize it?
– First, Look for Lack of Eggs and/or Young
Brood!
– Look for signs of laying workers!
– Look for virgin Queen!
– Listen to the sound of the bees!
– Look at Pollen!
• Is there fresh pollen in the combs?
• Is the pollen old and has a glossy appearance?
25.
26.
27. Quality Of The Queen
Cannot Determine By Queen’s
Appearance
Examine The Brood Pattern
Solid Brood Pattern
Spotty Brood Pattern
64. How Can You Tell If
The Brood Cycle Has
Been Broken?
65. Once A Queen Has Laid For 3
Weeks Uninterrupted, The Healthy
Hive Should Have:
Brood Of All Stages/Ages
12-15% Eggs
30-35 % Uncapped (Larvae)
50-60% Capped (Pupae)
Any Deviation From This Indicates A Break
In The Brood Cycle/Pattern
66. What Causes A Disruption
Of The Brood Cycle?
Anything That Causes The
Queen To Stop Laying Or
That Destroys The Brood
67. Break In Brood Rearing Cycle
PesticideKill Or Sudden Die-Off
Of Adult Workers
Death Of A Queen
Lack Of Nectar Flow Or Food
Stores
Diseases And Parasitic Mites
Weather