The Walking Drone.

[Dishmop]

When the drones get kicked out, why do they walk? I have seen one or two receiving what appears to be a nibble before they are kicked off and seen a couple with the tips of thier wings frayed, but the others I have examined have wings that look ok and the bee is getting away from the hive at as rapid a speed as it can thro the grass, so therefore (to me) appears to ok, although unwanted.

 

[susbees]

What I don't understand is if a drone is indeed welcome and will be accommodated in any hive they don't leg it once their friends start being kicked out and try and move in elsewhere...hive still rearing a queen, another bee type in another apiary with differing calendars etc...

 

[Dishmop]

Mine just scramble thro the grass as far as the paving stones and then run around in circles trying to get off the paving stone...

 

[Hivemaker.]

The drones are weak as the bee's have stopped feeding them....

 

[drstitson]

dead men walking

agree with Hivemaker - if the colony doesn't feel the need for drones anymore then presumably stop caring for them. Think of them as having been shafted by a nasty divorce case.

Perhaps if we fed them up they might mount little fathers for justice protests on hive roofs!!!!

 

[djg]

You got to admire the boisterous drones charging around with their great manes! Although mine are still tolerated "indoors", it always strikes me at this time of year that, by definition, every drone you see is a biological failure, by virtue of still being alive!

 

[oliver90owner]

by definition, every drone you see is a biological failure, by virtue of still being alive!

Not necessarily all of them. Some may be needed yet!

Regards, RAB

 

[drstitson]

now there's a challenge...

ok. if we are to accept that Drones are not necessarily redundant at this time of year, here's a question:

what is the latest that you've had a new princess who has hatched, successfully mated and gone on to produce a viable colony that overwintered ok.

obviously some extra details would help. nuc vs full brood box. supercedure or queenless hive given fresh eggs to work on etc etc.

 

[oliver90owner]

what is the latest that you've had a new princess who has hatched, successfully mated and gone on to produce a viable colony that overwintered ok.

Supercedure is no problem. Very late, as long as there are drones available and the old queen is laying beside the new one. My answer is I can't remember.

Those with many multiples of 'my number of colonies' might have details, but I would not be surprised if it were so late that regular inspections were finished, so it could easily pass unnoticed.

RAB

 

[drstitson]

that's cheating!

supercedure - having an old queen to keep the colony "topped up" whilst waiting the 3 weeks for princess to hatch and then the week or two to get laying properly. In this case it's not really any different to the original colony carrying on ISQ.

what us newbies will be interested to hear is how late can a new queen rescue a queenless colony with waning population of bees in order to produce an adequate number of winter bees to enable (as sure as possible) survival.