awcannon wrote:

> bearing in mind that drones get the chop at the years end, how do the =
> new years drones know where to find all of those drone congregation =
> zones? I have my doubts about them.

Aaaah, the mystery of it. The theory of a super-organism probably plays a
distinct role here. Bees are perceived to be only the cells of an organism,

called - for want of a better term - the bee colony. As each cell in e.g.
a human body is constantly replaced because of it's inherrent wear and
tear,
so each bee is replaced over time. As each cell or groups of cells have a
function to perform in the body, so too does each bee or group of bees
have their function to do in the colony. As humans and other creatures
procreate, so too do colonies of bees procreate by casting swarms. The
communication within human bodies is performed by hormones: so too
does the colony have chemical signals coursing through it in the form of
pheromones.

In the event of DCA's it is perhaps slightly simpler - they are drawn by
the
queen pheromone towards a general area. There, perhaps survival instinct
groups them together in "safer" areas, in clearings between trees, in
valleys
and other wind becalmed, open areas surrounded by shelter from predatory
birds. We know that bees are attracted to the vibrations of other bees and
that is perhaps the reason why  they group together within DCA's.

No need to be told by the previous "old-boys" of the club where the party
is
at. There have been many studies done on DCA's. Lately with radar. One of
our SA researchers Geoff Tribe has done a lot of work on them. I you wish,
I could request furher input from him.

Greetings

Robert Post