Need for and location of Drone Yards

[BerkeyDavid]

How many of you queen breeders have separate drone yards?

THe article in this months Bee Culture says to put your drones 1/4 to 1/2 mile from your mating nucs.

They seem to be saying that the queen will fly farther than the drones to mate. This avoids the queen breeding with her brothers I guess.

First question: How do you know which direction to put your drone colonies? It is not possible for me to surround my mating yard with drone colonies 1/4 mile apart. But the grower who sells my honey roadside nearby might let me put some drone colonies there - this is about 1/2 mile east. There is a little creek and tree line there and I think it is the most likely direction for any DCA's. The other direction there is nothing but open ground for at least a mile in all directions.

But if you move them the wrong direction from the DCA, the drones will not get there.

Also, does this mean that I don't have to worry about my queen breeding with her brothers if I put the mating nucs near the hive from which I graft?

I have 11 colonies, and I will graft from one of them. THere is another beekeeper who has a few hives about 3/4 mile away (also to the east). Other than that only other bees would be feral.

How concerned do I need to be about my drone situation?

[ May 28, 2006, 06:38 PM: Message edited by: BerkeyDavid ]

[Michael Bush]

I have no "drone yards". I know there were black ferals here when I moved here before I brought my bees. I captured the most of the black ferals that the queens I've bred are from quite a ways from here (most were 20 miles or so). I haven't had any problems with inbreeding yet (no spotty brood). I'm keeping another line of ferals at my outyard (60 miles from here) captured from feral bees there and at the first sign of any problems I'll bring queen mothers from there.

[Scot Mc Pherson]

Unless a bee knows where it is going, the bee will leave the hive circling away from the hive. This serves 2 primary functions. Orientation and ground coverage. Queen bees don't make a beeline for the DCA, how would they know where it is? They leave and circle ever outwards until they find a sutable congregation spot. Pretty much the same thing with the drones. They fly around until they find an outstanding feature likea stand of trees, or a grove in a forest, or a patch of bright flowers in an otherwise grassy field.

Yes the queen flies farther, but unless you are in a bee rich area, there aren't going to be a lot of drones for her to mate with. You can scatter your yards out to the four winds I guess to guarantee coverage, but the drones are going to congregate in the places in either case.

[cmq]

I have drone yards placed strategically around my mating nucs at approximately 1/2 mile radius. My intent was to place them at about 45 degree intervals around this radius. Instead, mainly due to the contour and lay of the land I have given the topography consideration vs. strictly using the distance factor. Typically, I have heard that one drone colony is recommended for each 10 queens to be mated ... I double this number. It also helps that I live in a rural area and that I know most of the adjacent landowners. It is of no surprise tht access that is afforded by a couple quarts of honey.