How Late In The Season Is There Drones For Mating

[Jen]

Scenario:

It's late in the bee season. There is a hive that looks like it may supercede the queen, plus there is capped drone cells, and queen cups in the making.

It looks to me like the queen will be mating with her own boys. That is bad news.

Upper Northern California. Is it still possible for drones from other hives in the area, to be in the sky waiting for queens for mating?

[gtrr4]

Jen, I still have hives producing drones.  So as long as there are other healthy hives in your area, they should also have drones being produced.  Your new queen, if they supercede her, should be ok.

[Riverrat]

There are drones year around in hives just less of them.  They wont start evicting drone usually until sept.  The queen will fly quite a few miles on mating flights this is natural to keep from mating with drones from own hive.  I have had queens get mated clear up into late october.