Drones, Drones, Everywhere

[VolunteerK9]

Yesterday, I went to go check on my swarm traps on a beetree that I have found.  While watching the bees come and go I noticed that the leaves were alive with what appeared to be newly hatched drones. They were crawling around everywhere, and after a few moments of grooming their antenae off, up they went flying around.  The more I watched, the more they continued to fall out of the hive and repeated the same process.  My question is, do colonies hatch an excess number of drones in preparation of a swarm or is this just wishful thinking on my part?

[Kathyp]

it is my observation that they do.  also before raising a new queen without swarming. 

[deknow]

also, queen cells and virgin queens appear to attract drones (which drift quite freely).  if you open a hive where where you know hasn't raised a bunch of drones recently (ie, a hive you inspect regularly), and see the top bars and frames full of drones....check for swarm cells!

deknow

[Michael Bush]

The time of year that they raise a lot of drones is the same time of year that they swarm.  The hives that raise a lot of drones have a surplus of resources.  The hives that swarm have a surpluse of resources...  I suppose it all fits together, but not as simply as we might think... because you can avoid swarming in those same hives that are raising a lot of drones if you play it right.

[NWIN Beekeeper]

I agree with MB. The conditions are right for both drones and swarming.

1st year (young queens) tend to have pheromones that trend the hive towards "hoard and establish".
2nd year tend to have established combs and trend towards "producing bodies and swarming".

So it's logical, if a hive is going to swarm and contain a new virgin queen, she's going to need drones.
Hopes are however, that the "home drones" are going to mate with "the girl down the street" and not inbreed with their sister. And likewise, hopefully "the dudes down the street" mate with the new "home queen".