Finski, why would that be the case? Why would they make more drone comb/drones just because of the natural comb?
They really do even if Michael claims that they dont. Natural comb religious do not believe that. But vain to debate with them.
20% drone brood makes a serious hole into the hive's honey yield.
The effect of drone comb on a honey bee colony's production of honey
Thomas D. Seeley Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853,
USA (Received 15 May 2001; revised 28 August 2001; accepted 16 November
2001)
Abstract
This study examined the impact on a colony's
honey production of providing it with a natural amount (20%) of drone comb. Over 3 summers, for the period mid May to late August, I measured the weight gains of 10 colonies, 5 with drone comb and 5 without it. Colonies with drone comb gained only
25.2 +/- 16.0 kg whereas those without drone comb gained
48.8 +/- 14.8 kg. Colonies with drone comb also had a higher mean rate of drone flights and a lower incidence of drone comb building. The lower honey yield of colonies with drone comb apparently arises, at least in part, because drone comb fosters drone rearing and the rearing and maintenance of drones is costly. I suggest that providing colonies with drone comb, as part of a program of controlling Varroa destructor without pesticides, may still be desirable since killing drone brood to kill mites may largely eliminate the negative effect of drone comb on honey yields.
Yield was about 100% bigger.
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