Winter drones

[ShepherdsWatchFarm]

Is it common for a few drones to winter with the hive?

[LazyBkpr]

I have seen drones in winter.. I can only assume that when they kicked them out they missed a few.  First time I saw it I was nearly in a panic thinking I had a laying worker or the queen had puttered out.  Come spring the queen was there and laying well.. so have to think it isnt terribly uncommon.

[Perry]

I agree with Lazy, I don't think they kick out every last one of them.

[ablanton]

I still had some drones as recently as Christmas.

[Beeracuda]

I have been seeing them around most of my hives the last couple of days.  One seems to have more than the other.  It is supposed to be 70 on Sunday, so I may take a peek in to see if there is anything unusual going on.

[Bakersdozen]

I spotted one myself last weekend.  That was the first time I had seen one in January. 

[tecumseh]

I am guessing if you have drone cells pretty much out of place in the hive body and at the center of the brood nest, then yes you might get an occasional drone.  experience however suggest that too many drones in a particular hive often suggest the queen in the hive is going south pretty quickly and as far as I can tell these same kinds of queens can be quite difficult for a hive to superscede. 

[Gary]

Last nights organizational bee club meeting here in Central Kansas brought in 75 charter members, about 75% beekeepers, some with 35 + years experience. Discovered that the recent warm 60 degree days have stimulated many queens to begin laying early. Many reported hives boiling over with bees including some drones. Lots of concern about the roller coaster temperatures we have been having and the amount of supplemental feed that will be required with this early brood production. I should buy stock in a sugar company! Anyone know how/where to buy wholesale sugar?

[Jen]

Have you concidered CostCo? Or..... Do you have Costco in your area?

[Ray]

I had a hive last winter that had some winter drones, the darned thing swarmed on me in late May.

[tefer2]

I always have a few in the hives in the middle of winter.

[keeperofthebees]

Drones in winter mean that theres something wrong with the queen.  It's her way of saying that she's on her way out...They need male bees to make a new queen. 

[rrog13]

Discovered that the recent warm 60 degree days have stimulated many queens to begin laying early. Many reported hives boiling over with bees including some drones. Lots of concern about the roller coaster temperatures we have been having ...

We can definitely relate to those "roller coaster temperatures" here in the south.  In weeks time we can have a temperature spread from 15 to 65 degrees.  Last Sunday, I checked my hives and they are definitely in build up mode.  With all of the hype there is over the latest winter storm Pax ....we're expecting 70 degrees by next Monday.    It's crazy!  To cluster or not to cluster, that is the question. 

[Jacobs]

I have had very healthy hives with good resources over-winter a few drones.  When I see lots of small drones around(and in) a hive in late winter/early spring, I have found that a strong hive lost its queen, over-wintered with a strong enough population to make it, and strong enough to go laying worker when brood ramp up time comes around.  Last year was the first time I saw small hive beetles over-wintering in the cluster of bees.  I prefer drones.