Drones Being Evicted Again

The Poot · Jun 22, 2021

Back towards the end of May, I posted a couple of photos showing drones being killed and ejected from my no3 hive. I assumed it was close to starving in the bad weather. Today the same colony is at it again. Approx 20 - 30 drones dead outside the hive and more being bundled out. I inspected the hive today, which is onto its fourth super and has three faces of honey in the upper brood box, thick with drones having lunch.
I‘ve not come across such murderous females as these, which are quite calm and placid when inspected. Is this common / normal in your experience?

bobba · Jun 22, 2021

I have only seen my bees forcing out drones at the end of the season.

I have heard drones can move from one hive to another. Maybe too many drones have moved in from another hive and they are not happy - just a crazy theory.

Swarm · Jun 22, 2021

I had to smile when I read this. The boys were quite numerous when I looked today and also tucking into lunch

My females seem happy to have them around, there were quite a few I have to admit.

Cole lynch · Jun 28, 2021

Saw similar as a result of thymol based treatments and also CBPV
Hopefully it’s just your workers balancing the population

elainemary · Jun 30, 2021

The Poot said:
Back towards the end of May, I posted a couple of photos showing drones being killed and ejected from my no3 hive. I assumed it was close to starving in the bad weather. Today the same colony is at it again. Approx 20 - 30 drones dead outside the hive and more being bundled out. I inspected the hive today, which is onto its fourth super and has three faces of honey in the upper brood box, thick with drones having lunch.
I‘ve not come across such murderous females as these, which are quite calm and placid when inspected. Is this common / normal in your experience?

I watched a bee yesterday uncapping a drone cell. Revealed the pupa at purple eye stage. Fascinating. I thought at first it was going to drag it out. But it simply inspected it with its antenna and proboscis and another bee joined it and did the same and left the drone uncapped. Reminded me I must put some time aside, to do some hygienic behaviour pin tests. Back on your topic, I’ve seen drones outside hives as soon as the flow started to reduce.

Boston Bees · Jun 30, 2021

elainemary said:
I watched a bee yesterday uncapping a drone cell. Revealed the pupa at purple eye stage. Fascinating. I thought at first it was going to drag it out. But it simply inspected it with its antenna and proboscis and another bee joined it and did the same and left the drone uncapped. Reminded me I must put some time aside, to do some hygienic behaviour pin tests. Back on your topic, I’ve seen drones outside hives as soon as the flow started to reduce.

How are your varroa levels?

Dutchman · Jun 30, 2021

Had a large hive that lost its queen, united them with a small split with a new queen that had just started to lay. Within a day every shred of newspaper between them had been removed and every drone of which there were many had been thrown out, they are now surplus to requirement.