Much more drone activity at Q- colony

[Sutty]

Having never before done a simple split leaving half as a queenless colony before, I've been watching hive entrance an through transparent crown board carefully.
Population size still looks fine, were split on 23rd May, so day 9 today. Queen(s) could emerge tomorrow at earliest (if cells made from 3 day old larvae).
I've noticed there are far more drones flying in and out of this hive than my other 2 (1 stronger) hives.
I can only assume that drones can smell a colony with queens getting ready to emerge and want to be in "pole position" for mating flights. However that doesn't tally with what I've read re from congregation areas etc.
Has anyone else ever noted this drone increase?

 

[Finman]

Having never before done a simple split leaving half as a queenless colony before, I've been watching hive entrance an through transparent crown board carefully.
Population size still looks fine, were split on 23rd May, so day 9 today. Queen(s) could emerge tomorrow at earliest (if cells made from 3 day old larvae).
I've noticed there are far more drones flying in and out of this hive than my other 2 (1 stronger) hives.
I can only assume that drones can smell a colony with queens getting ready to emerge and want to be in "pole position" for mating flights. However that doesn't tally with what I've read re from congregation areas etc.
Has anyone else ever noted this drone increase?

No. Bachelors are not waiting at mating nuc door.

.

 

[Sutty]

No. Bachelors are not waiting at mating nuc door.

.

That's what I've read - but not what I've seen!

 

[user 819]

Drones are accepted at any house of ill repute, they aren't loyal.

 

[Finman]

That's what I've read - but not what I've seen!

I have never seen that drones try to go into mating nucs, and I have had quite much mating nucs which have rippen virgins.

But if you saw, you saw.

 

[Sutty]

Still notably more drones in and out of this hive than the others.
Maybe the fact that it's half of a full colony (but awaiting virgin emergence) rather than a smaller mating nuc that makes it more attractive to them. Not supposed to be how it works, but there's a lot we don't know!

 

[plain_hunt]

That's what I've read - but not what I've seen!

I agree with you, my colonies with virgin queens seem to attract drones as well. Then once she’s mated they go somewhere else.

 

[Nannysbees]

Drones are accepted at any house of ill repute, they aren't loyal.

I never knew that I thought they stayed at their own homes!! Unless out mating of course

 

[Finman]

I never knew that I thought they stayed at their own homes!! Unless out mating of course

They use to fly couple hours a day, mate or not.

There are much drone activity in the hive if they have much drones. Some hives have more and some have less. Natural hives have about 25% drones out of brood.

 

[Finman]

I agree with you, my colonies with virgin queens seem to attract drones as well. Then once she’s mated they go somewhere else.

That would be mean that small mating nucs would be filled with drones.

 

[Sutty]

That would be mean that small mating nucs would be filled with drones.

Unless the small number of bees in a mating nuc doesn't produce enough of whatever odour/pheromone that might be attracting drones.
I'm not saying this is what is happening but it may make evolutionary sense, particularly if a drone gets a warning of an impending mating flight by being in that hive, and so is prompted to be in the air rather than the hive at the appropriate time. Higher reproductive success would strengthen such behaviour.

 

[Finman]

Unless the small number of bees in a mating nuc doesn't produce enough of whatever odour/pheromone that might be attracting drones.
I'm not saying this is what is happening but it may make evolutionary sense, particularly if a drone gets a warning of an impending mating flight by being in that hive, and so is prompted to be in the air rather than the hive at the appropriate time. Higher reproductive success would strengthen such behaviour.

But now you invent your own stories. I have reared queens 55 years and I have not noticed anything. Virgins have been in full hives and in 3 frame nucs.

What idea is that drones go into one's nest, if mating happens on sky during several days. Why heck are those feromones?

If there are 30 colonies in the yard and most drones go into one hive, hive surely explodes.
Never met and never read about such behaviour.

 

[Sutty]

But now you invent your own stories. I have reared queens 55 years and I have not noticed anything.

What idea is to invent drones into one's nest, if mating happens on sky during several days. What heck are those feromones?

If there are 30 colonies in the yard and most drones go into one hive, hive surely explodes.
Never met and never read about such behaviour.

Fair enough, it wasn't a "story" but a hypothesis based on observations. However in a large apiary you would expect it to be noticeable.

 

[Sutty]

An alternative hypothesis could be that drones in a queenless colony fly more frequently. This would match the observed increased activity, as well as finman's point that a hive would get too many drones.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I never knew that I thought they stayed at their own homes!! Unless out mating of course

When I lived in Cumbria the local BKA had a small training apiary a quarter of a mile away. I was forever finding drones with different coloured dabs on them in my hives. I had to have a word.

 

[Sutty]

When I lived in Cumbria the local BKA had a small training apiary a quarter of a mile away. I was forever finding drones with different coloured dabs on them in my hives. I had to have a word.

Did they stop or switch to eg black paint?

 

[Erichalfbee]

They squashed them afterwards