Sue Cobey sums up the local dating scene in a single word: brutal. The entomologist is speaking of honeybees, bee mating being her specialty, and she knows the dauntingly steep odds drones, the males, face in fulfilling their urge to spawn. "There can be something like 25,000 drones out there...

In almost every hive I have inspected from Marion County north to the Georgia border there are signs of swarm preparation. Don't be afraid to check when the weather is even close to good. You may be surprised how much pollen and honey they are bringing in or have brought in recently also. The...