Frame spacing and size of drones.

[JamezF]

general beekeeping lore is that they are lazy spongers who just hang about waiting for an appropriate point to mate and in the meantime consume copious amounts of the beekeepers honey. Is this another beekeeping myth ?

I believe it is myth. My current understanding is that the drones do actually help with the maintenance of the hive environment by fanning and suchlike. I can't for the life of me remember where I read that though.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It is also said that They sing to the brood

 

[JamezF]

It is also said that They sing to the brood

More than likely if they're Welsh bees

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

It is also said that They sing to the brood

Beat me to it.
It’s all here

 

[user 20297]

It is also said that They sing to the brood

....and rock them to sleep.

 

[Wilco]

There is more info out there on them. I agree killing drones seems nonsensical when thinking holistically.

IIRC drones take a while post-emergence to be available for mating flights so are going to be produced before we necessarily think of there being a 'need'.

Bees as a superorganism work for the group not the individual. I suspect this is not limited to the level of colonies. If all colonies produce drones during the season, it works to the good of the collective (all bee colonies) as if any have a queen in need of mating (who we know wouldn't mate with related drones), there will be some drones about. A drone may not directly benefit the colony they are from but they do indirectly by contributing to local colony success- so if their colony is in need in future, there will be drones from those other colonies. I think this explains why there are drones throughout the season.

 

[Newbeeneil]

There is more info out there on them. I agree killing drones seems nonsensical when thinking holistically.

IIRC drones take a while post-emergence to be available for mating flights so are going to be produced before we necessarily think of there being a 'need'.

Bees as a superorganism work for the group not the individual. I suspect this is not limited to the level of colonies. If all colonies produce drones during the season, it works to the good of the collective (all bee colonies) as if any have a queen in need of mating (who we know wouldn't mate with related drones), there will be some drones about. A drone may not directly benefit the colony they are from but they do indirectly by contributing to local colony success- so if their colony is in need in future, there will be drones from those other colonies. I think this explains why there are drones throughout the season.

I agree, by producing drones a colony is passing its genes on and many breeders flood an area with drones of known genealogy.
It has always confused me that people have been concerned about queens being open mated as they are likely to be mated with drones with undesirable traits but they are surely just as likely to be mated with drones with desirable traits?

 

[JamezF]

It has always confused me that people have been concerned about queens being open mated as they are likely to be mated with drones with undesirable traits but they are surely just as likely to be mated with drones with desirable traits?

I assume the issue is that you won't know which is which. Or they might even be mated with both.

James

 

[Swarm]

This comb was drawn below foundation frames (into a void that shouldn't be there) by a newly hived swarm. Lots of drone cells.

 

[rolande]

why do the workers tolerate this number from early in the year until autumn if they don't serve some purpose as well as mating ?

There is of course the almost annually reported drone massacres which occur during summertime when the weather has reduced colony income. See it quite often on this forum. Of course, it tends to be the adult drones and the unsealed larvae that get axed, the sealed ones generally seem to get a reprieve perhaps as insurance, or maybe just because they're not currently eating into colony stores.

 

[pargyle]

There is more info out there on them. I agree killing drones seems nonsensical when thinking holistically.

IIRC drones take a while post-emergence to be available for mating flights so are going to be produced before we necessarily think of there being a 'need'.

Bees as a superorganism work for the group not the individual. I suspect this is not limited to the level of colonies. If all colonies produce drones during the season, it works to the good of the collective (all bee colonies) as if any have a queen in need of mating (who we know wouldn't mate with related drones), there will be some drones about. A drone may not directly benefit the colony they are from but they do indirectly by contributing to local colony success- so if their colony is in need in future, there will be drones from those other colonies. I think this explains why there are drones throughout the season.

It's as good an explanation as any ....

 

[pargyle]

There is of course the almost annually reported drone massacres which occur during summertime when the weather has reduced colony income. See it quite often on this forum. Of course, it tends to be the adult drones and the unsealed larvae that get axed, the sealed ones generally seem to get a reprieve perhaps as insurance, or maybe just because they're not currently eating into colony stores.

Looking back with a search on the forum for Drone Eviction it seems to be late August and September where nost drone eviction occurs.... later into October if the weather is good. Certainly my colonies down here on the Costa del Fareham have drones until very late in the year and a few overwinter as well but that may be symptomatic of our microclimate down here.

 

[madasafish]

"Any claim for anything backed up with no (true) numbers or evidence is best regarded as excrement and treated as such "

is my motto through life.
So far it as served me well: beekeeping is no exception..

 

[understanding_bees]

Where's Understanding Bees when you need him?

You are welcome to send me a private message.

 

[Norton]

When doing II, we have noted that the large burly drones are usually "firing blanks". Medium sized drones are much better quality.
Just our observations, if that is if any help.

 

[user 20297]

When doing II, we have noted that the large burly drones are usually "firing blanks". Medium sized drones are much better quality.
Just our observations, if that is if any help.

That's interesting, but it is something of a blunt statement. The usual cry when assertions such as that one are made here is: "please can you give a link to the scientific evidence?"

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think he did qualify that statement with

Just our observations, if that is if any help

 

[user 20297]

I think he did qualify that statement with

...but that doesn't usually cut much ice with (for instance) you, does it?

 

[Norton]

That's interesting, but it is something of a blunt statement. The usual cry when assertions such as that one are made here is: "please can you give a link to the scientific evidence?"

Actually there is no link or scientific evidence, just our observations. So why ask for it?

OK, I give up!
No more input from me. I have better things to do.
Thank you!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

...but that doesn't usually cut much ice with (for instance) you, does it?

If Norton had just made the comment as a statement of scientific fact maybe, but he did, twice in the post make clear it was just an observation they had made.