In my part of Georgia we are within spitting distance of full-on spring weather and drones are flying from my hives like hormonal teenage maniacs, ready for their mating flights. (I’m lobbying for “mating flights” to be changed to “dating flights” because really, how many fellas are going to get to third base in their lifetimes?*) While our bees will raise drones all season, they rear the most in the next few months, and these spring drones are arguably the healthiest.
Working bees in the spring is <chef’s kiss> pure joy for me. They are well fed, which I anthropomorphize to mean they are at their happiest. I imagine spring bees gobbling up their choice of fresh nectar and bright pollen feel the same joy I do as a foodie when eating a warm, delicate almond croissant fresh from the oven, or a juicy crimson tomato from the vine — it just puts me in a good mood. Plus they are smelling all that brood pheromone, producing the joyful feelings I get when my kids are home, perhaps? Colonies of bees have a strong drive to rear drones this time of year, and I imagine the smell of that drone brood is also fulfilling to them. I won’t extend the metaphor to say that I enjoy the smell of my son’s dirty socks when he’s in the house, but it just feels good when the boys are around.
Do you know where your green frames are?
During my first inspection coming out of winter, I move the green drone brood frames from position #2 or #8 to the middle of the brood chamber. Research shows that survival to adulthood is higher for brood in the middle of the brood area, and I want to be putting healthy drones out into the world. (Before autumn I shuffle the frames back to #2 or #8, since they are mostly used for honey storage by then.)
Last year I really enjoyed being a student in Penn State’s DUDE program. In one of the online sessions, Robyn Underwood mentioned something she had noticed in her colonies: the frame adjacent to drone brood frames was often chock-full of pollen, even when that pollen frame was toward the center of the brood area where we typically see solid worker brood. Having been made aware of that, I am seeing it more this spring — perhaps you’ll notice it too.
Drone management is different in any “spicy” colonies I’m dealing with. I don’t want defensive bee genes flying around town, and I have at least one colony right now that will be getting a new queen post haste. In the meantime, I am pulling and freezing (or feeding the yummy drone brood to my adorable chickens) those particular green frames. This might make the colony even crankier, but the end justifies the means when it comes to mean bees.
DCA Data
In September 2025 I presented a poster at Apimondia with data that has been posted on mapmydca.com to date. The most interesting finding is that more than half the DCAs pinned were found over tree canopy. This contradicts older beliefs that DCAs occur mainly over open areas surrounded by a windbreak. This year I’m trying to include a UAV flying expedition with every speaking engagement I do during drone season, to add more pins to the map and see if this observation continues.
Using waypoints software** in some UAVs allows the pilot to program flights in advance so you can be sure you’ve surveyed all the area surrounding an apiary — not just the spots where you think DCAs are likely — which is a more thorough and objective way to assess an area. Check it out.
Full as a forager in spring
If you’ve ever watched workers returning from foraging trips loaded down with nectar-filled tummies and bulging thighs, making their final approach to the crowded runway of their landing boards, it can be rather entertaining. They bounce off each other and sometimes off of the front of the hive because they are so full it’s hard to fly in with precision. This goofy behavior makes me chuckle, and reminds me of myself in spring — there’s so much going on that I’m often overloaded and emotionally crash into things while my husband laughs at me for creating the very chaos I’m experiencing. It’s good to laugh along, rather than punch him, and keep in mind that abundance is a good thing.
Wishing you the happiness of a spring forager,
–Julia
Julia Mahood
Master Crafts Beekeeper
*Opinions on this vary, but most say that the odds of a drone getting lucky in his lifetime are less than 1 in 1,000
** Check your UAV model for waypoints software. If it doesn’t have it, you can use the third party Maven software. I’ve used it with my DJI Air 2 and it’s a pleasure to operate.