[Comper100]

Hey guys

Just a quick question, My hive seams to have drones coming and going almost everyday in summer, is this normal? I started the hive off with 2 Nucs, (one queenless with quite a bit of drone brood) and a queenright nuc) about a month ago. Everything is fine so I think, plenty of eggs being laid etc, just everyday they come and go, workers seam to try and throw them out sometimes but seam to fail. Do they fly far to find other colonies queens?

If someone could shed some like that would be good.
Thanks

 

[Michael Bush]

>Just a quick question, My hive seams to have drones coming and going almost everyday in summer, is this normal?

Yes.

> I started the hive off with 2 Nucs, (one queenless with quite a bit of drone brood) and a queenright nuc) about a month ago. Everything is fine so I think, plenty of eggs being laid etc, just everyday they come and go, workers seam to try and throw them out sometimes but seam to fail.

THey will throw them out when they don't have the resources to support them.

> Do they fly far to find other colonies queens?

They fly usually less than 2 miles to a DCA (Drone Congregation Area) to try to mate with a queen. They drift a lot to other colonies.

 

[Comper100]

Thanks Michael, All clear

 

[mgolden]

I googled drone flying and learned that they prefer temps above 19C(66.2F), low winds speeds and fly early/mid afternoon. Hence if there is poor weather when queens are ready to mate, end result is often poorly mated queens.

 

[Rader Sidetrack]

Drones do not forage for themselves, so to eat, they must return to the hive. More on drones and colony organization here:

https://agdev.anr.udel.edu/maarec/honey-bee-biology/the-colony-and-its-organization/

 

[Comper100]

Thanks for the link, Yeah its very hot here at the moment plenty of them flying around!

 

[mgolden]

Another link to drone info

What is mid day temp?

http://honeybee.drawwing.org/book/drone-flights

 

[Comper100]

Midday temp yesterday was 45 deg C Thanks for the link

 

[johng]

113 F is that right? That is pretty hot!

 

[Comper100]

Yep that's right, it can get up to 122 F in some rural parts of South Australia. Today its 100 F, No many fanners out the front of the hive like you would expect but I guess that means there not that populated yet. Lots of drones flying around again today, some with workers unsuccessfully trying to evict them and what looks like a few large bright yellow workers (look like mini queens?)
Great fun watching them... The hive gets fun sun on the entrance (east facing) and goes into full shade by about Midday, otherwise its just too hot for them.