Do Drones Matter?

[tbonekel]

I didn't really know how to start this thread, but I was just thinking about something tonight. I have one hive that appears to be raising a new queen.  Right now, they are queenless. There is a hive on both sides of this one going gangbusters. There are a ton of drones being produced by these hives that have amazing queens. Here is my question. If the newly hatched queen takes her mating flight and mates with one of the numerous drones that I now have, how much of an impact will the genes of these drones have on the offspring and laying capability of the new queen? That may be a question that no one can answer, but I was just thinking about it.

[riverbee]

tb, how many hives do you have? and are there other beekeepers near you? It is unlikely and also genetically undesirable for drones and queens from the
same colony to mate. with that said, queens mate with a number of drones.

ps
drones matter....

[pistolpete]

The workers produced by your queen will have half the genes of the drones she mated with.  So yes, drones matter.  As far as laying capability, that has to do with the queens own genetics as well as the success of her mating flights.    Queens are supposed to travel a lot further than drones to mate.  Theoretically that precludes your queen from mating with her siblings, as well as drones from the rest of your apiary.    Seems to me though that the exact nature of mating flights and drone congregation areas is somewhat poorly understood.

[Woody Roberts]

I'm with pistol Pete on the matter of vague understanding of DCAs and how far a queen flies.
Like any other kind of livestock the offspring can take after either or both so it's beneficial if both are good quality.

Seems to me that the real benefit is not the workers she lays but the queens you raise from her. The workers will have several dads but when she is superseded it comes down to one drone. Ideally his mom was a laying machine with a good temperament.

When left to their own devices bees have this figured out. Strong, healthy hives build lots of drones. Weak hives don't.
Therefore your DCAs are saturated with drones from strong hives.

I'm mostly foundationless and I've never frozen frames or killed drones in any way. Yet when I go thru my hives I rarely see what I think is too many. When I do see what I think is too many this hive generally is about to be superseded.
Drones go where they please and like young men they like to hang out where their options are best.

[brooksbeefarm]

Drones don't have Daddies they have grandpa's  Jack

[Woody Roberts]

Drones don't have Daddies they have grandpa's  Jack

DUH! Your right!

Sometimes I get way out in left field and have to be called back. Thanks Jack

[Gypsi]

Drones don't have Daddies they have grandpa's  Jack

DUH! Your right!

Sometimes I get way out in left field and have to be called back. Thanks Jack

True

[Woody Roberts]

The future queens you raise from that hive do have daddy's though.