Drones kicked out

[Craig1961]

Checked this evening and noticed 7 or 8 drones around the hive entrance and on the ground.

Is this normal at this time of the year?

 

[haycroftbees]

Checked this evening and noticed 7 or 8 drones around the hive entrance and on the ground.

Is this normal at this time of the year?

I would say so, shorter days,forage reducing. saw workers chasing drones on combs last monday,sorry boys your days are numbered.

 

[Winker]

Checked this evening and noticed 7 or 8 drones around the hive entrance and on the ground.

Is this normal at this time of the year?

I think its a case of premature ejaculation.

 

[Mrs Soup]

Don't ask me, two of mine still have drone brood......

 

[susbees]

Still drone brood here too.

 

[nonstandard]

Drone brood here too...... well there was until I cut it off today

 

[drstitson]

maybe still have drone brood BUT the decision to lay that was made upto 28 days ago. a lot can change in a month.

last weekend there was at least one drone on porch on way out (ie assisted) at any one moment.

 

[region2]

24 days surely

R2

 

[nematode]

A couple of days ago one of my hives kicked out loads of drones. There must have been nearly every single drone.

 

[oliver90owner]

drstitson said: the decision to lay that (drone brood) was made up to 28 days ago

Region 2 said: 24 days surely

I would be strongly inclined to go with the Doc.

The cycle from egg laying may well be less, but the workers would be busy cleaning and polishing the cells prior to that. They, after all, would be making the decisions, not the queen, who is only the egg laying machine.

And he did say 'up to'. Further, as most drone cells are at the cooler edges of the brood nest, so pupation may take a day or so longer, and if the cells were being re-used, the time given by drstitson might, at times, be on the short side!

RAB

 

[Heather]

Hey give a girl a chance-- still got one hive with virgin about to go mile high club...
Maybe down South we will let them have a stay of execution!

 

[JohnRoss]

I am still waiting for queens to emerge in my only two colonies. By my claculations they should be emerging tomorrow at the very latest. I am really hoping they get mated.

 

[drstitson]

Thanks Rab for clarifying my point.

I did state

"BUT the decision to lay"

rather than eggs were laid!

as rab says - cells have to be drawn/polished etc etc and bees need to take stock of the various stimuli which promote drone rearing eg pollen yield, weather.

apologies for lack of clarity - posted in haste after yet another late night/early morning - home at 2am (not thanks to BA this time, rather the NATS failure), prior to returning to airport for 9 (after getting up at 5.30 to sort the animals!!!!).

 

[user 3204]

Still Drone brood here too - Boys not required now though - out, out,out!

 

[beebreeder]

I think that all of us that have been doing this for a number of years can testify to colonys supeceding as late as september, mark your new queen in season only to find an unmarked and unclipped queen next spring, so nature and the bees know best, and we should all accept that.
kev