Not many, but too many drones

[SixFooter]

Most of my colonies do not have drones yet, but one colony has noticeably more than the others - well one or two or three on each patch of brood. Do I need to do a split on this one? I read somewhere that more drones than usual indicate early swarm preparations. The bees have lots of room under the current nest and plenty of room in supers. I was thinking about maybe doing a vertical split on Wednesday. Will that be soon enough? I have seen no other signs that the swarming season has started like activity around empty boxes and bait hives.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I read somewhere that more drones than usual indicate early swarm preparations.

Not that i have noticed, and often the colonies that have the most drones make no effort to swarm whatsoever.

 

[Finman]

.
Only swarm indication is queen cells ....

Every hive makes drones, and if they have free space, bees makes drone combs.

If you want to foresee swarming, daughters of swarmed hive are quite sure to swarm next year.

 

[RogueDrone]

one, two, three drone cells per patch / frame of brood will not mean swarm preps when they start to make drones on mass (say 5% brood appx.) swarm preps will follow on drones hatching in my experience.

 

[oliver90owner]

My experience is that swarming is unlikely in colonies without drones. Simple as that.

It is reported that drone populations can be as high as high as 20%, so the actual number, or amount of brood seems irrelevant.

Drone colonies, encouraged for mating purposes, need not necessarily swarm?
RAB

 

[SixFooter]

I didn't mean drone cells, I mean big eyed drones marching about the brood area.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Drones aren't always colony specific, they seem to be let into any hive they happen to land on and get fed.