workers have started eliminating drones... in july ?

[mushmushi]

Hello folks,

Some of my hives are foundation-less (at least, since last year).

As a side effect, I do have an increased number of drones in the hives.

Some beekeepers think that a big number of drones is bad since they would get less honey.

The hive in question is very strong (2 full deeps, 1 deep honey, 2 medium honey).

Well, today I noticed a lot of dead drones in front of the hive.  Also, there were lots of workers killing them and pushing them away.

Now, this behavior seems normal and expected in Fall, but I never noticed it in July. I noticed another hive that has started doing it.

Could it be that the workers notice the high drone population and decide to get rid of some of them ?

[Kathyp]

has happened here also.  had drones in the observation hive before i left on vacation, but they were gone when i got back.  have not checked deeply into outside hive yet.
figured it was our weather.  we got all the way up the 65 degrees today and rain.  what's that...about 19 degrees your temp?  it's just been crappy.

[Dange]

I seen my hive doing the same thing the other day but to just one drone. I do have foundation though. So I also thought that it was a fall thing but I am having warm weather and wondered if they do that to help keep the hive cooler. I am interested in hearing what the veterans have to say as I am a newbee.

[Vance G]

Here on the prairie we are having a near perfect main flow of sweet clover and alfalfa.  Not as many drones as there were earlier but still plenty of them coming and going.   Course I was smiting them hip and thigh in the cells looking for varroa!  I may have thinned them out.  My nucs and splits from this spring are actually going to produce a pretty fair crop drawing all foundation.   I need to put more supers together.

[bulldog]

i just had the same thing. i went out by my hives and i thought i had robbing going on it was so frenzied, then i noticed they were kicking out drones by the dozens.

[cam]

My hives have been killing them for a couple of weeks.

[Michael Bush]

There is probably a dearth.

[Kathyp]

no dearth here, but we got all the way up to 65 yesterday!!  with...rain....of course.  if anybody goes queenless late, i'll have to buy a queen or combine.   :(

[Larry Bees]

I haven't had many drones in my hives all year long.   :shock:

[mushmushi]

MB seems to be right.

We had hot and humid weather for the past 2 weeks.

Probably a dearth since very little wax comb has been built for the last 2 weeks.

[Buzzen]

Add me to the list....saw it when i checked after work this evening. Drones getting the boot.

[Brian D. Bray]

Once a hive has concluded its swarming for the year it will under take a drone kill off.  This can happen in any month that swarms are found.  A hive will normally issue 2 large swarms per year, one in May and a 2nd in late June or early July.  After each a large drone die off is noted.  Afterward a smaller number of drones are reared and will be retained until early to mid Sept when the final die off occurs. 

Note: If you have queen cups, you'll most probably have some degree of drone population.  Drones are usually absent in the absence of queen cups.

[Dimmsdale]

Has anyone been noticing loan bumble bees foolishly trying to enter your hives??  My girls have 6 dead ones littering the area around the landing board.  You'd think they would learn!