What does it mean when there are many drones in front of your hive?

[Dougraymen]

What does it mean when there are many drones in front of your hive? I went out and checked my hives I placed out last year and there are tons of drones interring and leaving the hive. What does this mean?

[GreenMountainRose]

Have you seen your queen lately?

[George Fergusson]

It means all is right with the world. Bees like drones and it's not uncommon for as much as 10% of your hive population to consist of drones. That can seem like a lot of drones.

They also tend to fly around the same time each day so at times you'll see a lot more drones in front of your hives than at other times. They also drift so some of the drones you see may not belong to the hive they're slumming around. They usually head out to the local drone congregation area in the early afternoon. Unless you've got more drones than workers, I wouldn't worry about it. I'd be worried if I didn't see any drones.

[Jim Williamson]

As George said, I wouldn't be concerned with how many drones are in the air. Check your brood comb. If it looks like too many drone cells, I cut it out or replace the frame.

George's drones "head out to the local drone congregation area in early afternoon". Mine have a floating crap game going down in the far corner of the field. They buzz around, talk trash and smoke their cigarettes while waiting to ravage an untouched queen. Bunch of deliquents if you ask me. That's why they never amount to anything. redface.gif

[Sundance]

Sounds like a healthy hive. Drones (like all men) like to hang out and shoot the breeze.

[KainNation]

I like that. That is awesome. I could definately be a drone. I better become a drone when I am reincarneted. Maybe the Xenu will help me out with that lol.

[George Fergusson]

>Bunch of deliquents if you ask me.

I always figured they're were smoking dope. It wouldn't surprise me to find they were gambling and talking dirty too.

>I better become a drone when I am reincarneted.

You better hope you're an Islamic drone, they die and get 76 virgins. EHB on the other hand get 1 virgin if they're lucky, then they die..

Speaking of drones, it's about time I went off in search of a DCA. I've been meaning to do that this year.

[Michael Bush]

It means it's the time of day the drones are leaving or returning. smile.gif They go out cruising every afternoon.

[sc-bee]

Ain't life nice till fall comes ;)

[R.L. Bee]

I posted this question a while back I noticed the drones in front of the hive on the ground about 2 days before I had a swarm in two different hives. I guess it had nothing to do with the swarming? I don't know.

[Tom Chaudoir]

Speaking of drones, it's about time I went off in search of a DCA.Drone Calling Accordion?
Drone Cell Attenuator?

Ok, George. I give up smile.gif

I see the drones coming in a lot sometimes, and other times not at all. There are set times that they cruise for chicks. I find it funny that they come back and race into the hive as if they have important business there. "Stand aside. I'm a drone and it's lunch time. Feed me!"

[PA Pete]

Drone Congregation Area smile.gif

[divebee]

Hmmm, Drones cruising for chicks, maybe but they would be in for a surprise. A drone mates once and dies immediately after. Not a life of luxury in the dating world.

[wayacoyote]

Doug,
If I were you I would look for these other symptoms:
1) lawn chairs
2) DV projector
3) sheet strung between volleyball poles
4) coolers full of drinks
5) barbeque grill and charcoal
6) loosened belts

If you see any of these in addition to all they guys hanging around outside, they're probably getting ready to watch a game.

Waya

[Tom Chaudoir]

Drone Congregation AreaFor real? How do you go about finding one?

[onlygoodSHBisdeadone]

>How do you go about finding one?

Dab of mandibular pheromone behind the ears and you'll know.....oooh you'll know.

[Michael Bush]

>How do you go about finding one?

A good fishing rod, some QMP (you can buy it as "Bee Boost" from Mann Lake or make some with old queens in a jar of alcohol, or just use a queen in a cage), and a helium balloon. Watch which direction your drones fly and start fishing. You'll see a drone comet when you find a flyway. Follow the flyway. They tend to follow tree lines and other landmarks. When you find a DCA you'll have a serious drone comet following your "queen".

[Carolyn]

George Fergusson wrote:
"Unless you've got more drones than workers, I wouldn't worry about it. I'd be worried if I didn't see any drones"
would you explain why that is for me?

[Tom Chaudoir]

Thanks, Michael.

Is finding a DCA just really cool and interesting, or is there a practical reason to do it? Thanks.

[Michael Bush]

>Is finding a DCA just really cool and interesting, or is there a practical reason to do it?

Just cool and interesting.

[George Fergusson]

>would you explain why that is for me?

Huh. Well I guess because it would be so unnatural, assuming of course it's the time of year when they are normally raising drones. Not seeing any drones in October or April is normal. Not seeing any drones in June is not normal.

[Jim Williamson]

What Michael finds "just cool and interesting" tends to be an epiphany for the rest of us. (I hope I didn't encroach on your trademark, George).

Might it be possible to locate a DCA and place mating nucs in the immediate vicinity in order to ensure a higher rate of fertilization of virgin queens? Or are the virgins better at locating DCA's than Michael's "trial" balloon?

I'm digging out the fishing pole tomorrow morning. I'm not sure how I'll explain it to the lady who owns the field behind my bee yard, but I'll make something up on the fly.

[George Fergusson]

>(I hope I didn't encroach on your trademark, George).

My lawyer will be contacting you shortly.

>Might it be possible to locate a DCA and place mating nucs in the immediate vicinity

Sure, but there's no guarantee your queens will fly to that DCA. They might, and if it's right on top of them they might not have much choice on the matter. Very little is actually known about the dynamics involved in queen mating. Some studies of the numbers and placement of drone mother colonies needed for "flooding" an area with sufficient drones to assure successful mating. One is entitled "Drone Mother Colonies- Numbers and Positioning" put out by the NSW Agriculture department. I've lost the link but have a copy. You should be able to Google it, if you can't let me know and I'll send you a copy.

George-

[Michael Bush]

>Might it be possible to locate a DCA and place mating nucs in the immediate vicinity in order to ensure a higher rate of fertilization of virgin queens? Or are the virgins better at locating DCA's than Michael's "trial" balloon?

The queens tend to look for one further away than right there. You'd be better off to have them a mile or so away from the DCA. Plus, who says the owner of the land is going to buy that. They probably don't know they have a DCA. smile.gif