Drones Still?

[Dishmop]

I seem to have what seems to me a lot of drones still being kicked out from one hive.

My thoughts are that ............. er.... what?
Drone laying queen? If so, surely these wouldnt/couldnt be new/ish bees at this time of year?

Why so many? Other hive doesnt have the same activity and the observation hive hasnt had any drones for ages.

These bees were illegal immigrants into a Warre hive.

Last time I looked in this hive early October, there were plenty of stores and brood and plenty of bees.

 

[tidymeup]

I still have some drones in my hives and expect some might over winter with them. I was talking to a friend the other day and he had some overwinter with drones last year.

I think it's because we have had a couple of mild autumns.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes I saw one, today, come out with his sisters, take a noisy turn round the rowans planted nearby and return to the hive unchallenged.

 

[Biddly]

I watched four drones the other morning squeeze out from behind the mouse guard, fly off like noisey mini zeppelins for five minutes and then return and go back in quite happily.That was in the 10 mins i was there just checking the apiary.

 

[jezd]

no drones here, got wasps still mind

 

[psafloyd]

no drones here, got wasps still mind

Apart from one wasp I saw ejected from the hive yesterday, there were at least a dozen on the ivy behind my hive.

 

[FenBee]

I saw two drones ejected yesterday from one of my hives.

One experienced beekeeper told me that sometimes drones are keep over Winter, or well in to late Autumn, if there is a virgin queen in the hive. After all the drones may well be from other hives in the area, so there would not be so much risk on inbreeding.

 

[Vergilius]

One experienced beekeeper told me that sometimes drones are keep over Winter, or well in to late Autumn, if there is a virgin queen in the hive.

Yes, but this scenario would be a disaster. The drones may hang around but they won't mate with the virgin at this time of year meaning that there will be no new eggs laid over winter.



Ben P

 

[chipper]

Drones present now... usually a sign of a faulty/failing queen...nothing to be done now just got to wait and see......

 

[oliver90owner]

Ben,

You are now a weather forecaster? Most of them are pretty sh.. you know what.

If there is a chance of a weather window for mating, there is hope. OK, that chance is close to zero probability.

But if your life depended on that slim chance, would you not hang on......hoping? Hoping for a miracle? Bees are the same, if they were in that position.

There may be two queens in the hive, who knows; if that new queen were to get mated she would be retained, if not they would have to make do with the one they have -perhaps ailing, but may survive as a worker egg layer until the spring.

Colony life is all about the survival of the 'super organism'.

Regards, RAB

And anyway, half of the colonies are from imported queens where the bees are expecting next summer along any day now!

So, yes, Fenbee is correct with his post.

 

[keithgrimes]

And anyway, half of the colonies are from imported queens where the bees are expecting next summer along any day now!

 

[Dishmop]

Today I was clearing the drone grave yard and found a partially formed dead bee. I thought that none would be emerging, or about to, this late...

 

[Gardenbees]

My Buckfast girls were very busy housekeeping just now when I went to check on them... lots of odd bits and pieces had been chucked out of the hive, mostly tiny bits of twig and dust from around the entrance (we've had high winds a couple of days ago), plus some bits of dead bee (although no brood bits that I could see). This despite heavy ice on their adjacent water supply, hoar frost on the hive and a generally very chilly air about the place.

And yes, there were a few drones flying about, but the girls weren't letting them back in. There's quite a few dead ones nearby, too, so I think their welcome has finally run out.