Dragging out the drones

It is another Spectacular Fall Day around here. After a cool wet summer, September and the beginning of October have been awesome. Bright blue skies, warm sunny afternoons, cool nights, the foliage. No wonder people come from far and wide to Vermont this time of year!

The bees are kicking out the drones. The drones do not do much work. They are loafers whose only purpose, so far as humans can tell, is to fertilize the queen. And she only mates once. Anyway, in the fall, the workers kick out the drones to conserve food for the winter. The drones are much bigger than the workers, so it is an amazing sight. (In the photo above the drone is the big one on the upper right.) There is a big fuss around the front of the hive, because the drones want to get back in, and the workers won't let them. I feel bad for the poor drones, who will die without the protection of the hive, but I hope that life in bee heaven will be at least as nice as summer in Vermont!