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Author Topic: bee seemingly trying to mate with dead drone  (Read 3038 times)

Offline ayyon2157

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bee seemingly trying to mate with dead drone
« on: July 31, 2005, 02:48:24 am »
Hi everybody:

     Have a hive which was a rather late nuc and is now getting going quite well, and I have noticed a few dead drones on  the ground in front of it.  

     I noticed what certainly seemed to be a worker bee (not bald) seeming to purposefully turn a dead drone over and crawl on top of it.  Then it  flew to the top of the hive (over 4 feet counting the 2 full depth hives plus the two chimney flue  liners which it was setting on)  The drones seem to have their abdomens intact so I don't think they died after mating.

     I was surprised to learn that such a small bee could fly with that much weight, as the drone must have weighed almost twice what she did.

     I noticed some bees dropping discs of wax off the board onto the ground, and some discs already on the ground.

     I also  noticed two white wormlike things about 1/2 inch long and maybe 1/8 or 3/32 thick lying on the landing board, seemingly dead.  queen larvae maybe?

     Any comments?

thanks ayyon2157
William H. Michaels

Offline stilllearning

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Re: bee seemingly trying to mate with dead drone
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2005, 11:20:24 am »
Quote from: ayyon2157
Hi everybody:

     Have a hive which was a rather late nuc and is now getting going quite well, and I have noticed a few dead drones on  the ground in front of it.  

"You can find dead bees in front of a hive most anytime if you look"
"They probably starved to death on the front of the hive if the workers would not let them in."

     I noticed what certainly seemed to be a worker bee (not bald) seeming to purposefully turn a dead drone over and crawl on top of it.

"Any bee you see working is going to be a worker bee, queens and drones dont do any work in the hive except lay eggs"

 Then it  flew to the top of the hive (over 4 feet counting the 2 full depth hives plus the two chimney flue  liners which it was setting on)


"This sounds like simple housekeeping chores to me"

"It is not uncommon to see one bee carry another from the hive entrance"

 The drones seem to have their abdomens intact so I don't think they died
after mating.

"Mating occurs in the air away from the hive in flight the drone falls to the ground dead, they dont come back to the hive to die"


     I was surprised to learn that such a small bee could fly with that much weight, as the drone must have weighed almost twice what she did.

"All insects can carry many times their own weight"

     I noticed some bees dropping discs of wax off the board onto the ground, and some discs already on the ground.

"Most probably house keeping cleaning the bottom board"

     I also  noticed two white wormlike things about 1/2 inch long and maybe 1/8 or 3/32 thick lying on the landing board, seemingly dead.  queen larvae maybe?

"I would suspect wax moth larva, better check the nuc for them,
they like to get into a weak hive and multifply"

     Any comments?

thanks ayyon2157
Wayne Cole

Offline newbee101

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bee seemingly trying to mate with dead drone
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2005, 12:36:58 pm »
"Any bee you see working is going to be a worker bee, queens and drones dont do any work in the hive except lay eggs"

Drones eat & mate, they don't lay eggs.
"To bee or not to bee"

Offline Michael Bush

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bee seemingly trying to mate with dead drone
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2005, 11:52:28 am »
You'll never see drones that died from mating.  They never make it back to the hive from the DCA (Drone Congregation Area).

The worker was just hauling out a dead one.  Dead BEE larvae are probably from you doing an inspection and you bumped some cappings.  Dead worm looking larvae are probably from wax moths.
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Offline FordGuy

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bee seemingly trying to mate with dead drone
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2005, 12:00:07 am »
I bet this is what you saw.

http://www.totalupload.com/view.php?img=ca847598b4.jpg

beekiller.

Offline FordGuy

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bee seemingly trying to mate with dead drone
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2005, 12:38:07 am »
Quote from: FordGuy
I bet this is what you saw.

http://www.totalupload.com/view.php?img=ca847598b4.jpg

beekiller.


well, whatch think?