Here in the north, late August is not a good time for drones. Although it is still summer, you know fall is coming when the drones get ousted from their hives. Drone eviction is a vital part of the colony life cycle.
Yesterday when I walked past my hives I noticed a large number of drones on one of the landing boards. On closer inspection, I could see them trying to get inside, but the workers were having none of it. Two, three, or four workers would block entry and sometimes fight the drones to the edge of the landing board until they fell off the edge.
Basically, the workers will keep fighting off the drones until they either starve, freeze, or get eaten. Since the drones serve no useful purpose during the winter months, a colony without drones has fewer mouths to feed and fewer residents to clean up after. So out they go! I kind of feel sorry for them.
Rusty
Drones being shown the door. Photo by the author.
RT @HoneyBeeSuite: [New Post] It’s not a good time to be male – via #twitoaster http://www.honeybeesuite.com/?p=1596 #bees #beekeeping
It sure is not!
Drone eviction is going on over here as well these days and although one doesn’t want to anthropomorphize the bees: you do feel pity for the males.
We have been filming them last week being pushed around and off the landing boards and left helplessly lying on the ground, some really impressive scenes and – somehow – really, really sad.
Maybe because they indicate the end of summer, too.
You bring up a very good point: the end of summer. It sounds silly, but I miss the bees during the winter. The skies seems empty without them.
I love to see them coming and going and I love to hear their sound. Busy bees make me believe that all is right with the world. Then, once cold weather sets in, I worry about them all winter long.
So you’re right. Drone eviction signals the coming of winter and everything that winter implies.