Tag Archives: drones

At least one of these bees is a laying worker

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Ron Miksha

At least one of the bees in the picture above is a laying worker. Can you spot her?  I can’t. But if you read this post to the end, you will have the answer – and a really nice bonus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Queens, Science | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

My Failure as a Beekeeper: Part V

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Ron Miksha

When a colony has lost its queen and not replaced her, the hive is almost certain to die a slow and sorrowful death. The great plans we had for this small nuc – a source of a pound or two … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Place to Pair (and pair and pair) with a Bee?

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Maybe I should have written this blog in Latin.  When I was a kid, I saw a bee biology book where the author switched to Latin when he got to the part about how queens and drones get together to make … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, History, Queens, Science | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Meet the Family Caste

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday, I vented about honey bees and honeybees – the former being correct, the latter wrong. Today’s a new day, so here’s a new vocab issue. In today’s interesting world of blended boundaries, I thought I’d write a few words … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Books, Queens | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

The Worker Who Would Be Queen

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Bees have a complicated social structure which some political scientists have sought to embrace. In the old days, people assumed that the King Bee ruled with an iron fist that imposed order, harmony, sacrifice, and unflinching duty. Now that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Genetics, Queens, Science | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Drone Congregations

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Originally posted on Bee-Nuts:
On summer afternoons scores of male bees (called drones) gather together in specific areas of the sky and wait for virgin queens to join them. When a queen does approach a spectacular chase begins which ends…

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The Bees’ Sixth Sense

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Bees sense the environment differently than humans. For example,  bees can see ultra-violet colour and distinguish it from violet and white, yet they see red as if it were black. They sense the orientation of polarized light. Their massive compound … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Science | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Drones Deliver Beer

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Drones get no respect. If not accused of lounging around the hive, their mechanical doppelgängers get accused of corporate espionage because they spy into office windows. Finally, a people-friendly use for drones that makes sense. A Taiwanese brewery will use … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , | Leave a comment