The Drones

Nature's Most Misunderstood Gentlemen

Every great kingdom has its workers.

Every great kingdom has its queen.

And every great kingdom has a few individuals whose purpose is so specialised that they are often misunderstood.

Welcome to the world of the drones.

The gentlemen of the hive.

The bachelors.

The romantics.

The dreamers.

And perhaps the most unfairly judged members of the entire colony.

Meet the Boys

Unlike the queen and worker bees, drones are male.

They are larger than worker bees, with broad bodies and enormous eyes that seem almost oversized for their heads.

Those remarkable eyes serve a very important purpose.

Drones are born for a single mission.

To find a queen.

Not just any queen.

A newly emerged virgin queen undertaking her maiden flight into the sky.

A Different Kind of Life

The life of a drone is very different from that of his sisters.

He does not gather nectar.

He does not collect pollen.

He does not build comb.

He does not guard the hive.

And he certainly does not make honey.

To the casual observer, it may appear that he spends much of his day wandering around the hive while everyone else works.

This has led to centuries of bad press.

Yet the truth is far more fascinating.

The drone has been designed for one extraordinary purpose.

Built for Love

If worker bees are engineers and queens are mothers, drones are aviators.

Their huge eyes allow them to spot queens during flight.

Their powerful wings enable them to pursue a queen through the air at astonishing speeds.

They are among the finest flyers in the colony.

Every aspect of their design serves a single biological purpose:

To ensure the continuation of the honey bee species.

The Great Gathering

On warm afternoons during the mating season, drones from many different colonies gather in specific locations known as Drone Congregation Areas.

Scientists still marvel at how these gathering places are found and maintained generation after generation.

Thousands of drones may gather in these invisible aerial meeting grounds.

And then they wait.

Because somewhere nearby, a young queen may be preparing for the most important flight of her life.

The Maiden Flight

When a queen takes to the air, the drones respond instantly.

A magnificent pursuit begins.

Only the strongest, fastest and most capable drones will reach her.

Nature is selecting the very best genetics for the next generation.

It is one of the oldest and most successful breeding systems on Earth.

The future of entire colonies depends upon these airborne gentlemen.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

The story of the drone is also one of sacrifice.

A successful mating flight comes at the highest possible price.

For the fortunate drone that succeeds, his life ends immediately after fulfilling his purpose.

Nature grants him a single moment of triumph.

Then his journey is complete.

It is perhaps one of the most dramatic acts of devotion found anywhere in the natural world.

The Changing Seasons

As summer turns toward autumn and nectar becomes scarce, the colony must prepare for winter.

At this point, the drones face a difficult fate.

Because they do not gather food or contribute to winter survival, the workers gradually escort them from the hive.

The gentlemen who once feasted freely among their sisters are politely but firmly shown the door.

No hard feelings.

Simply the practical realities of life within the colony.

Winter belongs to those who can sustain the hive.

More Than Meets the Eye

The next time someone uses the word "drone" to describe laziness, remember the truth.

Drones are not idle.

They are specialists.

Living embodiments of a single, essential purpose.

Without them there would be no mating flights.

No future queens.

No new colonies.

And ultimately, no continuation of the hive.

Here's to the Boys

So let us raise a tiny drop of honey to the drones.

The flyers.

The dreamers.

The gentlemen with the oversized eyes.

Nature's romantics.

Misunderstood by many.

Essential to all.

Because every queen's story begins with a remarkable flight...

And somewhere in the sky, a drone brave enough to follow.