Part of the message was as follows (relative to drone aggregations):
 
>The swallows were up about 30 feet and the bees chased them up there
>constantly.  Since they were nesting and raising young, they had a
>horrible time coming and going from the nest, and were always running
>from bees.
>
>They (the swallows) blamed our cats and would swoop at them, so the cats hid
>under the vehicles. This went on for several days as I recall.
>
>We had a hundred or so hives in the yard (large nucs).
>
>We speculated that the bees were drones because of the size and the
>height and wondered if they were trying to mate the swallows.
>
>Anyone else ever see this?
>
>Allen
>
>
>W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                        VE6CFK
 
 
 
   Sorry for this delay in response, but all got too much.
 
   My impression (from observations) is that drones who perceive queen
pheromone go pretty wild and will chase any moving object in sight.  A
similar phenomenon can be observed in the monarch butterfly aggregations in
our area during the mating "orgy" that occurs in late February.  Male
monarchs (much easier to see than drone honey bees) chase just about
anything moving through the air, even birds and dragonflies.
 
   Once female butterflies have mated several times, they leave the
aggregation sites and search for milkweed plants; consequently, the
male/female ratio increases and one finds males coupling with one another.
 
                                                        Adrian
 
 
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