Queen cells in October

[Anduril]

Same here
Some colonies take them through winter. Whether they fly out looking for nookie is another matter

Probably taken through winter as well. When I take a peek in March there are drones and plenty of drone brood.

 

[madasafish]

Probably taken through winter as well. When I take a peek in March there are drones and plenty of drone brood.

Not Here!
April at earliest...
And I usually start QR in May with very few drones flying..

 

[Poly Hive]

Drones here are May at best. Consider yourselves blest.

PH

 

[Ian123]

I’ve only ever seen drones carried and reared through the winter once and it was a carniolan Queen. Every sunny day along with the normal flights at the entrance there would be a few drones. I inspected the hive in early March expecting to find a DLQ. But all was in order, the only thing I could find to explain this was a patch of drone cells in the centre frame of what would have been the main area for winter cluster.

 

[oliver90owner]

Leave them alone if there is a queen present and still laying worker brood.

There is a chance that a new queen could get mated, but as another week progresses the chances of mating obviously reduces.

But we have had very warm days into November and there will be some drones somewhere. Any other superceding hives will have drones present, too. The alternative is to cull the queen and unite - your choice as to how many colonies to take into winter. Small colonies (queen slowing down due to old age) may be as strong as a nuc, so they may need treating accordingly.

The risk is she may run out of sperm early in spring, before drones and good weather permit a spring supercedure. You know that and should check for worker brood in spring, if they are a potential spring-time unite.

 

[beeno]

A drone is a drone...

Drone fertility is an issue of major concern and an undersized drone has less of the stuff to start off with. Also, do they fly to mate or is it just a short cleansing flight? Large colonies sometimes afford themselves the luxury of retaining drones and early drone brood. Perhaps to get off to a good start and early swarming come spring?

 

[Anduril]

early swarming come spring?

Very rare as far as I'm concerned.