In message <[log in to unmask]>, Robert
Brenchley <[log in to unmask]> writes
>    The first is apiary vicinity mating, when the queens mate on short, local
>flights, apparently with drones from nearby hives. This will obviously be an
>advantage in the bad weather we often get in early summer.
And autumn when they tend to supersede. A friend, without knowledge of
Cooper's work, always expected to find "popped" drones in his colonies
when his nucs and splits were being mated. I found such a drone on the
roof of a split hive when she mated. This seems like AVM - why else
would it be there? (Of course you'll tell me he could have been from
that hive - or another in the apiary - and mated with another queen from
somewhere else).
>    Then there is the short-lived bubble assembly. Drones congregate in a
>bubble of warm air near the apiary, taking advantage of what might be a very
>brief spell of good weather. In this case, I would imagine they just head for
>the nearest warm air, and again, the queens probably mate with drones from
>nearby hives.
When I had hives at the bottom of the garden, and before I knew of drone
assemblies, I did hear what I now believe to have been a drone assembly
around my house. At the time, there were no obvious large foraging
movements through the garden. This would fit with a warm uprising of air
from the house roof. It persisted during warm weather. Though I still
have a couple at home and there are about 16 within 600m I have not
heard the sound since.
--
James Kilty