Drones early march

[hiveabee]

I saw a drone come out of one of my hives today, I have this felling its a bit early for drones and I may have a drone laying queen or laying workers. Should I open up and have a look? my instinct tells me to wait until the days are a bit warmer

 

[REDWOOD]

There are options available but weather permitting,

 

[MuswellMetro]

hopefully just a misfire from your queen as she has started to lay after the winter break or even sometimes a worker's egg not eaten by the other worker bees

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I saw a drone come out of one of my hives today, I have this felling its a bit early for drones and I may have a drone laying queen or laying workers. Should I open up and have a look? my instinct tells me to wait until the days are a bit warmer

Have you a plan of action if your fears prove founded? If not I would leave them undisturbed for a few more weeks.
Patience is a virtue!

 

[Pete D]

As above really.
If it's a drone layer all you will be able to do is unite them in to another hive once the queen is found and killed, if laying worker tip them out in front of your other 2 hives. For both operations you need the weather to be good enough to have a decent look.
Normally a drone layer produces full size drones and a worker small stunted drones.
As John said have a plan of action for what you find when the time comes to open up.
Don't forget drones can visit other hives although this is normally during times of plenty.
Good luck

 

[oliver90owner]

Leave for a few more weeks? Much better to have a simple plan - like observe more carefully on a bright warm day. One drone does not make a drone layer. Laying workers? Never seen that this early in the year. Undersize drones is what you don't want. Or take a peek in, if you really can't do the external observation bit.

Then, if suspicions are confirmed, do something about it now. No point in wasting bees or messing up more comb, wasting stores on brooding useless drones. If healthy, otherwise, the frames might be more useful elsewhere shortly. Even to the point of doing a shook swarm - onto the grass on a warm day. That colony would be doomed anyway and the remnants may just save another weak colony.

Doing nothing and waiting a few weeks would achieve nothing.

 

[Tom Bick]

Just one word of caution over tipping the bees out in front of other colonies. Be very confident you don't have any other underlying disease problems, last year I shook out a Q- hive and a few weeks later I had three hives in the same apiary that were strong coming out of the winter contaminated with nosema ceranae and it took me the rest of the year getting them fit again and virtually no honey from that site. If I was going to do this again I would test the bees first.

 

[hiveabee]

Thanks everybody for the useful comments. I will have a closer look weather permitting in a couple of weeks.

 

[Roola]

Very busy this morning, plenty of activity and I saw a drone land and go in... There must be a few about.

 

[Torq]

A friend of mine still has some of last years drones happily buzzing in and out of one of her hives.

 

[farbee]

hopefully just a misfire from your queen as she has started to lay after the winter break or even sometimes a worker's egg not eaten by the other worker bees

Can you clarify this statement for me please; Are you saying that worker bee's 'often' lay eggs but are eaten by other worker so never develop into adult bees?

 

[rje66]

A friend of mine still has some of last years drones happily buzzing in and out of one of her hives.

hey torq , im in athlone paddys W/E. if your free at all poss meet up for a bee chat . did the course up here in dub this time last year and have been to all the local BKA meets and have a mentor but as bees were very scarce last year I didnt get any, so will be pushing hard to get going this year. made up 2 cedar hives have all the gear but no bees

Still got the harley?
richie

 

[Tom Bick]

It is also possible that following the mild winter and for some what looks like early spring we will see plenty of swarms in April this year.

 

[itma]

Can you clarify this statement for me please; Are you saying that worker bee's 'often' lay eggs but are eaten by other worker so never develop into adult bees?

Workers lay much more often than you might expect.
Look up "worker policing" to find out the details.

 

[Torq]

hey torq , im in athlone paddys W/E. if your free at all poss meet up for a bee chat . did the course up here in dub this time last year and have been to all the local BKA meets and have a mentor but as bees were very scarce last year I didnt get any, so will be pushing hard to get going this year. made up 2 cedar hives have all the gear but no bees

Still got the harley?
richie

Hi Richie,
PM sent!


Just want to clear something up here though



I have never owned a Harley! This is my baby, now sitting neglected at the back of the shed.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I have never owned a Harley! This is my baby, now sitting neglected at the back of the shed.

A pansy wagon

 

[Torq]

A pansy wagon

Are you calling the mighty RD400d a "pansy wagon" !! If so get back on your 125 virago and away with you!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Are you calling the mighty RD400d a "pansy wagon" !! If so get back on your 125 virago and away with you!

LOL...it looks better now you have taken the side panniers and shopping basket off the front....

 

[farbee]

Workers lay much more often than you might expect.
Look up "worker policing" to find out the details.

Thanks. Just looked that up. Things are never quite a simple as books first present which is why I find it interesting.

 

[Torq]

LOL...it looks better now you have taken the side panniers and shopping basket off the front....

Ok then, I've shown you mine, now show me yours! Or are you a "in my day... blah blah ..... BSA A10.... blah blah... doing the ton down to the Ace café.... blah blah..... jap crap.... blah blah blah!


Anyway back on topic. Drones... you got to love them!