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British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • Red Eye Drone

  • General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #1364  by DianeBees
 16 Nov 2018, 10:16
Picture by Owen Lampe from Nuriootpa South Australia
redeyedrone.jpg
 #1368  by Chrisbarlow
 16 Nov 2018, 20:56
so does it mean anything Diane?
 #1372  by Patrick
 16 Nov 2018, 23:23
It’s just the effects of recessive genes in juvenile drones.

Or it could just be down to a particularly heavy night.
 #1373  by DianeBees
 17 Nov 2018, 13:01
There's more about white eye drones but the red does get a mention on this page : Drones can also have red variations, ranging from garnet, to brick and cherry, and also shades of ivory, in addition to black.
... In cases such as with the red-eyed drones, the eyes can change color over time eventually becoming black by the 14th day of adult life.

https://beeinformed.org/2012/04/26/3939/
 #1375  by Chrisbarlow
 17 Nov 2018, 20:14
I was under the impression that white eye was an inbreeding issue