'Painted' drones ?

[Parsonage Bees]

Anybody else seen this?
One hive has 'painted' drones. I haven't done any marking. Maybe the pale mark is part of the cocoon stuck on the thorax. ? Or some genetic glitch. ?

 

[user 20297]

Anybody else seen this?
One hive has 'painted' drones. I haven't done any marking. Maybe the pale mark is part of the cocoon stuck on the thorax. ? Or some genetic glitch. ?

View attachment 36234

Someone's been practicing queen marking and you've acquired their drones?

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Someone's been practicing queen marking and you've acquired their drones?

I don't know. some times it's just a pale sheen.

Saw Roger Patterson lecture where he cast doubt on the amount of drifting that we are told happens. Hive sits 5m from any other hive with 2 bushes in-between.

 

[JamezF]

I don't know. some times it's just a pale sheen.

Saw Roger Patterson lecture where he cast doubt on the amount of drifting that we are told happens. Hive sits 5m from any other hive with 2 bushes in-between.

David Evans quotes various research papers on drifting here

Based on the information there I'd suggest it's quite likely that they're "alien" drones that someone else has been practising queen marking on.

James

 

[Parsonage Bees]

David Evans quotes various research papers on drifting here

Based on the information there I'd suggest it's quite likely that they're "alien" drones that someone else has been practising queen marking on.

James

I'd certainly respect David Evans' research. The hive is sort of 'on the end' but stands alone. There could be a DCA nearby and I'd love to find it.

Roger Patterson did an experiment marking 100 drones in 3 seperate hives with 3 different colours and found little drifting between them. Perhaps drifting from remote apiaries more common?

Thanks for the link. . .. . . Ben

 

[JamezF]

Perhaps drifting from remote apiaries more common?

I'd not be entirely surprised. I'd suggest that it could be quite beneficial to the species as a whole in terms of genetic diversity if some drones can (repeatedly perhaps) move between colonies that are relatively distant from each other.

James

 

[enrico]

Blimey, them is black bees!

 

[madasafish]

I don't know. some times it's just a pale sheen.

Saw Roger Patterson lecture where he cast doubt on the amount of drifting that we are told happens. Hive sits 5m from any other hive with 2 bushes in-between.

I had marked drones in my hives over a period of years.
I don't practise marking on drones.
I think RP may be wrong based on events.

 

[Ian123]

Are you sure it’s paint, it’s unclear from the picture!….there is a genetic issue that cause white pigment in drones, I’ve seen it before and I think it normally comes out in the eyes. From what I can see it’s almost to tidy to be paint?

 

[Nige.Coll]

My mate likes to paint drones at the hives at the training apiary.
so much so that I bought 20 pens in different colours.
it seems every colony now has 6 queens all marked in different colours according to the beginners.
it's fun to see them move around.

 

[Sutty]

Doesn't look like paint to me!

 

[Wilco]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/genetic-mutation.33475/#post-476462

 

[Ian123]

Posted this last year.
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/white-eyed-drone.52941/

 

[Brian Bush]

Some beekeepers who use II mark their drones on emergence so they know the age of the drone and the queen from which it came. This is important if you are using II to produce pedigree queens.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

it could be quite beneficial to the species as a whole in terms of genetic diversity if some drones can (repeatedly perhaps) move between colonies that are relatively distant from each other

It's been proven - I think there was an experiment some time ago when marked drones were recorded at apiatries some miles from their 'home' hives where they were marked

 

[plain_hunt]

The three observation hives at a show had marked drones (for the children to find the “kings” as they called them) and they were found to be well mixed across the three within a couple of days.

those drones have white thoraxes, not eyes, so I’d reckon someone’s been practising marking.

 

[polymath]

We often mark drones for observation hives make it fun for the kids. After of course they drift places.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I'd like to see a white-eyed drone they must be obvious on the frame.

If it is paint it's very tidy. Not seen blotches on the wings or head, missing legs. I intend to do some marking practice and will have a go at picking up one of these. Bought a pink pen so no uncertainty. I'll try to get it on camera.

. . . . Ben

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Blimey, them is black bees!

Trick of the light maybe. Just local mongrels. They look more brown in real life. I don't know of any black bee enthusiasts locally.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Taken a few sample drones during inspection yesterday, both with and without this pale thorax.
Unless someone is practicing marking with very thin clear nail varnish or superglue I think this film on the thorax is part of the cocoon that has not fallen off. Specific to this one hive. Maybe 5 - 10% of the drones. Catches your eye when looking for the queen.
Last photo I've scratched off the 'mark'. Very thin 'skin-like' flake.