# New beek- stumped...



## Forest (Oct 14, 2010)

So, all you experienced bee-masters out there, explain this to me please, cause I am scratching my head here.

I'm a brand new beekeeper; got my package on the 5th of May. Hived them on the same day, fed them, they drew their own comb (they were just a little out of place (I don't use foundation)- I corrected), brood everywhere, and after about a week, I noted capped cells along with open brood.

Now today- day 16 if memory serves- I watch the workers going in and out before I feed them just to get an idea of what they are doing. I see lots of pollen coming in. Some bees apparently feeding one another and some bees apparently feeding pollen off of the forager's legs- right on the landing board. It seems like there are more bees than usual, but then, it is a nice warm day.

So far so good. Suddenly I notice a weird looking bee- it seems to have a larger head and fatter abdomen, but really, the head just has huge monster eyes. It cleans itself and spends a lot of time rubbing it's eyes, then flies off. I scratch my head- are strange bees robbing my little hive? Until it dawns on me that I might have just seen my first ever drone. I keep watching and sure enough, more bees looking like the first one keep coming out of the hive, clean themselves, and fly off, perhaps seven or ten total.

I'm happy, because if I have drones, I must have new workers also, which means my hive is past the worst! Because I remember reading drones are the ones that take the longest to develop. I go inside to check the book and here is where I'm stumped.

According to Storey's Guide to Beekeeping, it takes 24 days for drones to develop.

My hive is 16 days old.

Huh???

How can I have drones at 16 days? I've read somewhere that smaller cells will result in faster development but c'mon, a third less days?

How is this possible? What am I missing?


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

There were drones in your package of bees. 

Also, drones drift from colony to colony. The drones you see in your hive may not have originated from your hive.


----------



## davehoward (Oct 22, 2012)

Sounds like you have visitors attracted by your busy little family`s pheromones :-D


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

TEX is right.

 Al


----------



## Forest (Oct 14, 2010)

Aha- yes, that would explain it...

Is that normal to get drones along with the workers when you order a package? There are quite a few of them- maybe one in fifteen leaving/entering the hive.

I guess I'm not really sure how they generate these packages, anyway- do they just shake some bees from different hives from the frames? I could see how it would be difficult to separate out the drones- I just had never realized how many there are...


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

The bee keeper that makes up the packages takes that little box to a central point near the hives. Places a funnel in the opening and shakes in a bunch of frames toil the scale says there are so many pounds of bee in there. Then a caged queen is added with the can of syrup. So what ever is on the frames workers of all ages and drones go in.

 Al


----------



## Forest (Oct 14, 2010)

Ah, that explains it! Thanks, Al.


----------

