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Beekeeping in Northern Climates <br />Drones <br />Development <br />The drone has the longest <br />GHYHORSPHQWDOSHULRG+HLV <br />slightly larger and stouter than the <br />DGXOWZRUNHUDQGKDVFRPSRXQG <br />H\HVVRODUJHWKH\DOPRVWMRLQRQ <br />WRSRIKLVKHDG )LJXUH 'URQHV <br />ODFNPDQ\RIWKHVSHFLDOL]HG <br />VWUXFWXUHVRIZRUNHUVOLNHSROOHQ <br />EDVNHWVDQGJODQGVWRIHHG <br />ODUYDHDQGWKHUHIRUHPDNHQR <br />direct contribution to the colony's <br />ZRUNIRUFH7KH\DUHXQDEOHWRVWLQJ <br />and therefore cannot defend the <br />colony. Their importance cannot <br />be discounted however. A drone's <br />VLQJOHIXQFWLRQLQOLIHLVWRVHHN <br />and mate with a virgin queen from <br />a different colony, a feat seldom <br />accomplished. Mating, when <br />successful, results in his death.)LJXUH'URQHDQGZRUNHUV:RUNHUVDUHRQWKHOHIWVLGHRIWKHSKRWRDQGWKHGURQHLV <br />RQWKHULJKW SKRWRE\-XG\*ULHVHGLHFN . <br />)LJXUH%HHVZD[FRPEFRQWDLQLQJVHDOHG <br />ZRUNHUEURRG WKHÀDWEURZQFDSSHG <br />FHOOV VHDOHGGURQHEURRG WKHFRUQSXII <br />OLNHFHOOVRQWKHWRSHGJHDQGERWWRPULJKW  <br />and capped honey in the upper left and <br />right corners. The wax caps on the sealed <br />EURRGFHOOVPD\EHOLJKWHURUGDUNHUWKDQ <br />shown in this image. <br />0RVWFRORQLHVEHJLQWRUHDUGURQHVGXULQJPLGVSULQJLQFHOOVWKDWDUHODUJHUWKDQWKRVHXVHGIRUUHDULQJ <br />ZRUNHUV7KHVHDOHGEURRGFHOOVDUHQRWÀDWOLNHVHDOHGZRUNHUEURRGFHOOVEXWGRPHRXWOLNHFRUQSXII <br />FHUHDO )LJXUH ,WLVQRUPDOIRUDFRORQ\WRUHDUVHYHUDOWKRXVDQGGURQHVGXULQJWKHVXPPHUVHDVRQ <br />and seeing several hundred drones in a large, healthy colony should not be cause for concern. An <br />RYHUDEXQGDQFHRIGURQHV LHPRUHGURQHVWKDQZRUNHUVLQWKHFRORQ\ PD\LQGLFDWHRQHRUPRUHRIWKH <br />IROORZLQJSUREOHPV DGLVSURSRUWLRQDWHDPRXQWRIGURQHFRPE DTXHHQODFNLQJOLYHVSHUPRUDQ <br />LQDGHTXDWHVXSSO\RIVSHUP DTXHHQOHVVFRORQ\WKDWKDVUHVXOWHGLQWKHSUHVHQFHRIOD\LQJZRUNHUV <br /> ZRUNHUEHHVWKDWOD\XQIHUWLOL]HGHJJV ,QODWHVXPPHUGURQHVDUHGULYHQIURPWKHKLYHE\WKHZRUNHUVDQG <br />WKHFRORQ\VWRSVUDLVLQJGURQHV,IDEHHNHHSHUREVHUYHVDQDEXQGDQFHRIGURQHVLQWKHIDOORUZLQWHUWKH <br />colony probably has a failing queen.