Abstract
SummaryIn summer, younger Apis mellifera drones in a normal frame hive were concentrated in the centre, and older drones were more on the peripheral combs. In autumn, and as winter approached, the older drones moved to the central area and then migrated with the workers to the upper storeys of the hive. In a single-comb observation hive young drones were near the centre and older drones on the outer parts, except that the lowest part of the comb was avoided (less so when the worker population was higher). Five hypotheses to explain the observations are discussed, and it is concluded that age-specific temperature preference is the factor most consistent with all the results obtained.Drone destruction by workers was not observed in the autumn: a possible reason was the abnormally high number of young drones present, and the abundance of the honey stores.
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