Factors Influencing the Circadian Flight Rhythm of Drone Honey Bees1

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Abstract
Circadian mating flight activity of drone honey bees, Apis mellifera L., in Louisiana was studied during 1963 and found to be variable. Some natural phenomena causing this variation were temperature, cloud cover, shade, and direction the colony entrance faced. Average flight time during early June was between 1400 and 1630 hours, but earlier in the year drones flew almost 2 hours earlier. In general, as the temperatures increased and clays became longer, drones flew later and their flight times were more concentrated. The difference between flight activity of drones in California and that of drones in Louisiana could not be determined because the geographical east-west time difference was not great enough. Drones prevented from flight by confinement in cool darkness flew earlier than usual the following day. Flight activity on the second clay after confinement was almost like that of unconfined drones.

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