[keswickb]

Went out to bee yard this afternoon. The girls are busy little bees, also seen some drones flying. They are getting gear up. Nice to see after this long winter.:applause:

 

[Gilligan]

I have a question about drones.

In my tree rescue hive that was HEAVY on drones... I now find that I have a lot of drones stumbling around in the long grass about 3-5 feet from the hive (to the side, not the front). Great for the baby (4 year old) as I keep giving her a couple to play with but they don't last long. She isn't too rough with them and she feeds them tortilla chips and everything. But I'm curious about the drones that are stumbling around outside the main area.

 

[squarepeg]

they may have mated. look at the underside near the rear and if it is oozing that means they got the job done.

 

[beepro]

The stumbling drones cannot fly that's why they are on the ground. If you look
closely their wings could be damaged. I suspect from the mite infestation as they prefer
the drone larvae.