Why are the drones flying

[user 18806]

Have watched my hives a little this àfternoon.
1 of them has had drones coming out occasionally and flying, but they are coming back and going back inside the hive.
They are not being evicted, and allowed back in.
Hives were opened 7 days ago. No queen cells at all, so can't be mating flights.
Any idea why they are flying?

 

[Murox]

Cleansing?

 

[Karsal]

Have watched my hives a little this àfternoon.
1 of them has had drones coming out occasionally and flying, but they are coming back and going back inside the hive.
They are not being evicted, and allowed back in.
Hives were opened 7 days ago. No queen cells at all, so can't be mating flights.
Any idea why they are flying?

Not all hives evict their drones and when they do start evicting drones they don't all do it at the same time. Some drones over winter inside the colony and as for mating with queens this time of year. What makes you think they are not going out in pursuit of a virgin queen? Your colony may not be producing queen cells but others might be. I have had colonies replace their queen in September and yes the queen was mated and did overwinter. She was replaced again by the colony the following spring.

 

[user 18806]

Not all hives evict their drones and when they do start evicting drones they don't all do it at the same time. Some drones over winter inside the colony and as for mating with queens this time of year. What makes you think they are not going out in pursuit of a virgin queen? Your colony may not be producing queen cells but others might be. I have had colonies replace their queen in September and yes the queen was mated and did overwinter. She was replaced again by the colony the following spring.

Drone flies out by itself. Comes back within a minute and strolls back in. So assumed not evicting.
No hives other than mine near me. How quick do they fly? Or are you saying they will go for a flight in the hope of randomly finding a queen?

 

[madasafish]

Bees have boidily functions they have to do outside teh hive: excreting wastes.
I imagine they also drink water outrside the hive,

 

[Poly Hive]

Err what do drones exist for?

They are out looking for the ladies of course.

PH

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Drones will always fly - they don't just sit there until the hive has a virgin queen (in fact, ther last queen they're likely to get involved with is one from the same hive) they fly out, socialise,defecate, go to other hives but mostly spend their time at drone congregation areas, which may be miles away, hoping for some action.

 

[Swarm]

Drone flies out by itself. Comes back within a minute and strolls back in. So assumed not evicting.
No hives other than mine near me. How quick do they fly? Or are you saying they will go for a flight in the hope of randomly finding a queen?

You'll be surprised at just how many apiaries there are near yours, take a look on Beebase.

 

[user 18806]

Drones will always fly - they don't just sit there until the hive has a virgin queen (in fact, ther last queen they're likely to get involved with is one from the same hive) they fly out, socialise,defecate, go to other hives but mostly spend their time at drone congregation areas, which may be miles away, hoping for some action.

That's obvious....now.
I had a vision of the drones just lazing about, doing nothing.
Just hadn't seen them flying before. Certainly hear the difference between workers and drones flying.

 

[maz0]

Drones will always fly - they don't just sit there until the hive has a virgin queen (in fact, ther last queen they're likely to get involved with is one from the same hive) they fly out, socialise,defecate, go to other hives but mostly spend their time at drone congregation areas, which may be miles away, hoping for some action.

Typical blokes then eh!

 

[XYZ]

You'll be surprised at just how many apiaries there are near yours, take a look on Beebase.

Is there an interactive map or something that shows registered apiaries?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is there an interactive map or something that shows registered apiaries?

No, but it will show on your profile the number of apiaries within a 3KM radius of yours

 

[XYZ]

No, but it will show on your profile the number of apiaries within a 3KM radius of yours

Nice one JBM thanks

 

[mike99]

This thread made me look at my account on BeeBase and there are 80 Apiaries within 10k.

 

[maz0]

This thread made me look at my account on BeeBase and there are 80 Apiaries within 10k.

Showing as 'Unknown' for me...could be better or worse

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Showing as 'Unknown' for me...could be better or worse

Even if they did have a map for your area it would just be dotted with warnings of 'here be dragons'

 

[mike99]

Even if they did have a map for your area it would just be dotted with warnings of 'here be dragons'

Surely Dragons are a Welsh commodity?

 

[maz0]

Surely Dragons are a Welsh commodity?

And there I thought they were all in the beginners section of the forum

 

[Swarm]

There was a Welsh contingent in Scotland.
80 in a 10 km radius is the best I've managed, some were over 100.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Surely Dragons are a Welsh commodity?

True - and if you look at a map of Welsh territory at the time the Romans scarpered it spanned from just North of Edinburgh all the way down to the Isle of Wight with just the odd bit of marshy land like Lincolnshire, East Anglia and Essex being left to the incomers