Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Bush_84 on March 19, 2017, 06:44:41 pm

Title: Drone question
Post by: Bush_84 on March 19, 2017, 06:44:41 pm
So maples started to bloom. So bees came out of their shed today. All three made it. One is much larger than the other two. They were all out flying with a bunch of orientation flights. The strong hive had a few drones!  What?!? They get zero sun in the shed. Is this a good sign or should I be concerned?
Title: Re: Drone question
Post by: Dallasbeek on March 19, 2017, 08:02:15 pm
You still have cold (very cold, in my book) ahead, right? 

Your bees are getting active, weather permitting.  Queens are laying or you wouldn't have bees to be taking orientation flights.  The queen (actually, the hive) figures there's going to be a need for drones in the near future. 

But you still have more cold weather ahead, right?

So what's your question?  Everything looks good to me.  Keep them in the shed until spring (in Minnesota that's about May, right?  I've seen snow there in esrly May, anyway. 

Anybody else have more insight into Bush_84's question?
Title: Re: Drone question
Post by: Bush_84 on March 19, 2017, 08:44:12 pm
They are already out. They will stay out at this point unless we get awful temps. We do have the potential for cold and snow but this is looking like an early spring. I have a large maple that is about to fully bloom. That means that there are likely other things out there blooming. Maple is a big spring bloom until dandelions in my area. So I can't miss is.

My biggest question is it ok to see drones this early?  There's this whisper in my mind saying that the queen is failing or something, but I know that's just stupidity. I didn't do a full exam or anything. It was enough work hauling them out, removing their bottom box (they had three 8 frame deeps), and cleaning out the floor. My hives still have mountain camp sugar as well. It would be impossible to pull frames until I remove that and I don't plan on doing that until I know there is enough in bloom. Still feels a bit early for that. So I know that this is just a sign of this being a strong hive as all the evidence is pointing towards, but in my years I have had enough go wrong that I'm paranoid.
Title: Re: Drone question
Post by: iddee on March 19, 2017, 08:58:54 pm
Relax. Our April swarms came in Feb. this year.
Title: Re: Drone question
Post by: cao on March 19, 2017, 11:35:49 pm
I saw my first couple of drones flying today.  I think our april swarms will be coming in march.  I need to be checking my hives this week.
Title: Re: Drone question
Post by: Bush_84 on March 20, 2017, 09:44:53 am
Ya this is going to be one of those hives that I have to watch for starvation. Good for now though.
Title: Re: Drone question
Post by: BeeMaster2 on March 20, 2017, 01:21:51 pm
Drones are a sign of a strong hive. Especially full sized drones. worker sized drones are a sing of problem. Queen is laying non fertilized eggs in worker cells. Check for the size of the drones and then you can probably relax.
Bees will do what they think is best for them.
On the other hand. It is a lot warmer down here and there are swarms already but even my strongest hive, 5 medium boxes high, doesn't have drones coming out yet. It doesnt mean there are not drone brood or young drones in the hives. I did see one dead drone on the landing board of my flow hive. For me this is good, They are not planning on swarming yet.
Title: Re: Drone question
Post by: GSF on March 20, 2017, 01:52:57 pm


ditto, same here
Title: Re: Drone question
Post by: Boccyman on March 20, 2017, 03:31:35 pm
I've got drones in all my hives down here in Houston, TX - but, we've had a mild winter and day temps are now consistently in the mid 70's to 80's.