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First sight of the drones this morning. We have been waiting for them to start flying. The boys are excited. They can actually catch and hold a bee now. This hive is going crazy. The queen has moved up into the super and started laying there. I would like to split them but may try to manage them to after the flow. More bees=More honey......I hope!! I will be putting my queen excluders and honey supers on tomorrow. They are capping over the honey in the super she is laying in already. So supers for this hive.

Yesterday, March 22, 2009, I saw drones flying at David Lancaster's hive. It is located at the eastern edge of Greensboro. I saw dark drones and a few golden colored drones. I have not seen any drones from my hives in Greensboro proper.

Today, April 17, 2009, is the first day I have seen significant numbers of drones at my two hives. These hives were treated with formic acid for varroa mites at the time of the State meeting. Given that the temperatures then were around 80 degrees and just short of removal temperatures, I am certain I lost a lot of early brood in addition to mites. It looks like these two hives may be starting to catch up in build up.

We split David's hive last weekend. It had more brood than my two hives put together.

Today, March 25, 2010, I saw the first drone flying and go into one of my hives. It was a golden colored drone and not the black drones I saw walking around the comb in my strong hive yesterday.

Yesterday, March 13, 2011, I saw a few drones flying, landing, and going into my hives. I have been seeing a few drones in the last week, but they were not flying or not flying well, even though they looked good. I went through 2 hives thoroughly and both had capped drone brood and drones that had emerged and were walking around on the comb. In both, the queens were in the deep laying and had already put brood in the first medium. I'll be anxious to hear when others are seeing drones flying so that I can decide when/whether to make some splits or nucs and be able to give them a chance to make their own queens.

Have drones here as well.
If I remember correctly the earliest you should start queens is when you have purple eyed drones. I remember that statement but haven't done the math yet.

Checked both my hives yesterday. Both have drones, with more capped cells and plenty of brood. Also, much new nectar.