Why kick the drones out in May

[CB008]

I came home from work and had a quick glance at my hives. One had a pile of dead bees outside. On suiting up I discovered these were in fact a pile of dopey drones that had been expelled from one hive. A quick peek in the hive and all looked well.

I took off the Spring crop on Saturday but left plenty of stores in the double BF,s which I double checked on Sunday so they cannot be starving. This one colony just decided to evict these drones so I wonder why. Any ideas.

 

[Dishmop]

Is this Ground Hog Day or my morphine?

 

[norfolknchance]

drift

I came home from work and had a quick glance at my hives. One had a pile of dead bees outside. On suiting up I discovered these were in fact a pile of dopey drones that had been expelled from one hive. A quick peek in the hive and all looked well.

I took off the Spring crop on Saturday but left plenty of stores in the double BF,s which I double checked on Sunday so they cannot be starving. This one colony just decided to evict these drones so I wonder why. Any ideas.

In my opinion I think they didn't belong to that hive, and were treated as Robbers and expelled. Your problem may be drift, can I ask are your hives in a row just my opinion,,,,,,,

 

[masterBK]

Throwing drones out during a prolonged period of bad weather in spring is quite normal and I have seen it nurmerous times over the last 5 decades. It last happened in May 2012 and is one of the reasons many queens didn't get mated properly that year. Even though the hive might have stores if the income of pollen and nectar is shut off for several days the workers throw out their brothers. If the poor weather persists they start evicting drones from sealed cells. People are also reporting that they are not building drone comb on the bottoms of sacrificial shallow combs inserted into brod chambers as part of Varroa control. In addition if you have a virgin in the hive, once she gets mated and starts laying the colony will sometimes evict surplus drones

Drones drift into other hives and are normally accepted so can't agree with Norfolknchance. If you use marking paint to mark a load of drones from one hive you will find these marked drones in most of the other hives in apiary within a day or so and they even turn up in hives in nearby apiaries.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In my opinion I think they didn't belong to that hive, and were treated as Robbers and expelled.

Drones are welcome in any hive - they won't be treated as robbers

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hey, norfolknchance....where's your anti theft invention?

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=26001

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Probably left it on the planet Zog