[Dave Warren]

Been out of town for a few days returned a little while ago, went out to the bee yard, a one of my hives has a group of drones on the outside of the entrance kinda like a small swarm, should I be concerned, what does this mean, should I remove them? please let me know what the heck is going on.

 

[homesteader824]

If it were me I would just leave them be. They may be outside just because of the heat, or the workers are keeping them out. They may still be needed for mating with queens, although your drones probably would be mating with other queens. I'm still seeing some drone cells in my hives. When the colony has no more use for the drones, they will deal with them then.

 

[Dave Warren]

Well, figured it out why all the drones were outside, the girls were done with them and were kicking them out, It's still July, I find this highly unusual.
Here is what I did, I started smashing them, there were about a hundred or so, as I smashed them, the girls carried them off the landing board. After they were all gone, the girls started bringing more and more out of the hive for me to smash, it was kinda cool, working together with them, they didn't bother me, they just wanted the drones out!
I stayed at the entrance for about a half hour, the traffic started picking up with the foragers there numbers increased, it almost seems like their in a fall flow.
The temperatures here in Indiana have fluctuating some days it's in the low 70's in the day time, and 50's at night, earlier this week it was in the low 90's highs and mid 70's, with the crazy weather, maybe that's why the bees are acting like it's fall!

 

[estreya]

~ ROFL ~

THE CRUSHER!

At the risk of dating myself, remember that Bugs Bunny?

 

[Phoebee]

Odd that they'd do it this time of the year. I presume you'll do an inspection shortly to see if they're hungry or have some other obvious need.

I'm sure they can do without them by now. I just froze a frame of drones.

My wife has commented on what she sees as a surplus. I suggested she might practice catching them with a queen clip during inspections, so we would be less clumsy catching queens in the future. I figured we'd dump them in alcohol rather than crush them. Just a guy thing ... somehow it seems more fitting to let them go out in a drunken stupor, but that's just me rationalizing. The advantage would be that you'll get a mite count out of it, but maybe not a particularly relevant one.

 

[Dave Warren]

doing my inspection tomorrow, Saturday!