Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Blacksheep on April 18, 2017, 11:34:22 am

Title: Drones
Post by: Blacksheep on April 18, 2017, 11:34:22 am

I had a hive I was inspecting and discovered that many drones dead in front of the hive!The workers were bringing out the drones and they had a pile of them in front of the hive.I saw  some crawling in the grass and picked severral up and examined them and they looked normal.No sign of mite damage,etc.
Could it be due to the warm Jan we had and the bees think the cycle is over?Hive looks good inside all appeared to be normal. Any Ideas??

Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Michael Bush on April 18, 2017, 01:28:01 pm

Usually this means there was a lack of resources.  That could be due to a late freeze, a rainy week etc...

Title: Re: Drones
Post by: bwallace23350 on April 18, 2017, 02:42:17 pm

Quote from: Michael Bush on April 18, 2017, 01:28:01 pm

Usually this means there was a lack of resources.  That could be due to a late freeze, a rainy week etc...

What Mr. Bush said. You will also see them do this before winter.

Title: Re: Drones
Post by: Blacksheep on April 18, 2017, 08:18:57 pm

I am aware they throw them out in the late fall however this is just starting the season and it was just this one hive.No Mites as they were treated could be as Michael said lack of resources as we did have a freezeing night a few days ago.

Title: Re: Drones
Post by: GSF on April 20, 2017, 12:46:46 pm

This time of year they will go through resources so fast it'll amaze you. If you're at the beginning of your peak flow then they may be a day or two from starving out.