Drone hang outs

Tremyfro · Jul 13, 2014

How do you find out where the local drones hang out....or is that a myth? Is it just the drones flying around on the off chance. I've read that bees leave pherome trails in the air...but these would be worker bees with their own queen pherome. Does the virgin queen follow these trails too and hitch up with drones on route?

joctcl · Jul 13, 2014

They do hang out together on calm days gliding for 10-20 mins at a time waiting for her ladyship. My understanding is she goes to the "bar" to find them rather that the other way around?
There are some fantastic vids on YouTube with drones chasing virgins if you are into that sort of thing

pargyle · Jul 14, 2014

Tremyfro said:
How do you find out where the local drones hang out....or is that a myth? Is it just the drones flying around on the off chance. I've read that bees leave pherome trails in the air...but these would be worker bees with their own queen pherome. Does the virgin queen follow these trails too and hitch up with drones on route?

Look up Drone Congregation Areas on the internet ... lots to read ... but not that many have been pinpointed - there are known ones that have been around for 100's of years. Perhaps the new 'Hive Alive' programme on Tuesday night will shed some more light on them ?

Erichalfbee · Jul 14, 2014

Tremyfro said:
. Does the virgin queen follow these trails too and hitch up with drones on route?

She's far too valuable to the colony to be let out on her own. Tautz, among others, has it that she is escorted to DCAs by a retinue of experienced foragers who know where they are.

Tremyfro · Jul 14, 2014

I have read a bit about the congregation areas for drones and that they use the same areas year after year but I wonder how we find out where our own Drone Congregation Area is? It would be fascinating to be able to watch.

pargyle · Jul 14, 2014

Tremyfro said:
I have read a bit about the congregation areas for drones and that they use the same areas year after year but I wonder how we find out where our own Drone Congregation Area is? It would be fascinating to be able to watch.

There are LOTS of drone congregation areas ... several theories ... some suggest physical geography of the landscape which generate updrafts and also provide recognisable features, others suggest that they are sited on the confluence of lines of magnetic force on the earth's crust.

Whatever, there is circumstantial and narrative evidence that some DCA's have been in existence for a very long time and continue to be used year after year. How a particular DCA is chosen by a queen and her retinue is as yet unknown - indeed, there may be several DCA's within flying distance and who knows ~ a virgin may visit more than one during her mating for all we know and drones may also be moving around.

Tremyfro · Jul 15, 2014

So much unknown and yet to be explored. If you are raising Queens does everyone just rely on a mating flight or are these regulated within the apiary?