01
Mating Method and Process
The mating of queen bees is quite unique. Although the queen lives with worker bees and drones in the hive, mating does not occur inside the hive.
When a virgin queen is ready to mate, she releases pheromones to attract drones. However, she does not release pheromones inside the hive; she only releases them during flight. The drones inside the hive cannot identify the queen through pheromones, so they will not mate with the queen inside the hive.
The entire mating process of the queen bee is completed in the air, which is the peculiarity of bee mating.
After emerging, the unmated queen is called a virgin queen. After 5 to 6 days, she reaches the stage of sexual maturity. On sunny, calm, or slightly breezy afternoons with temperatures above 20°C, she leaves the hive, a flight known as the “nuptial flight.” Each flight lasts 15 to 50 minutes, flying 5 to 10 kilometers to find drones to mate with before returning to the hive.
Within 1 to 2 days, the queen will mate with about 12 drones multiple times and store the sperm in her spermatheca for her entire life. Finally, she returns to the hive with a white thread-like substance formed by the mucus of the drones, known as the “mating sign.”
After the queen returns to the hive, the worker bees follow the queen, celebrate her mating, and help her remove the mating sign.
The queen’s mating period is about 1 to 2 weeks, and she will not mate again after this period; if the queen encounters accidents such as insufficient drones or sudden rain during the nuptial flight, she will terminate the mating behavior and will try again after a short interval.
After successful mating, the queen’s abdomen swells, and her weight increases. Within 1 to 3 days, she starts laying eggs from the middle to both sides of the brood comb, and she almost never leaves the nest again except for swarming.
02
Drones Die After Mating
Drones that successfully mate with the queen die quickly, which is related to the queen’s storage of sperm.
Beekeepers judge whether the virgin queen has successfully mated by observing whether there is a “white line” at the end of the queen’s abdomen. In fact, this white line is the internal organs of the drone.
When the drone mates with the virgin queen, once the mating is completed, the queen’s abdomen contracts, breaking off the drone’s reproductive organs to prevent the semen from flowing out. In this process, in addition to the reproductive organs, similar to the situation where a worker bee stings a person, the drone’s internal organs may also be pulled out. After a brief moment of spring breeze, the drone is inevitably dead. Drones that successfully mate with the queen often die within 2 hours.
03
Queen Mating Ensures a Strong Succession
There are two types of eggs laid by the queen: fertilized eggs and unfertilized eggs. Fertilized eggs laid by the queen develop into worker bees, and unfertilized eggs develop into drones.
After successful mating, the queen can lay two types of eggs according to the conditions of the colony. If the queen has not mated successfully, she will also lay eggs, but only unfertilized eggs, which will develop into drones. Drones cannot maintain the continuation of the colony, which is a fatal threat to the survival of the colony, so virgin queens that have not mated should be eliminated.
04
Factors Affecting Queen Nuptial Flight and Mating
Weather: The climate requirements for queen mating are sunny and warm, calm or slightly breezy, with afternoon temperatures above 20°C. Rainy days affect the queen’s nuptial flight. Before breeding queen bees, it is necessary to calculate the time for the queen to emerge and mate to avoid the queen emerging and mating during long periods of continuous rain and strong winds.
Drones: The time for the virgin queen to mate is limited, mostly occurring between 5 to 13 days after emerging. It is necessary to cultivate a sufficient number of drones in advance to meet the selection of drones. If the new queen has not mated after more than 14 days after emerging, the queen should be eliminated.
Human factors: The queen’s nuptial flight is a life-threatening endeavor, and the stability of the hive affects the queen’s feelings. During the queen’s mating period, frequent inspection of the hive can cause the queen to feel uneasy, and the nuptial flight may not go smoothly, affecting the success rate of the queen’s mating.
Uncontrollable: Dragonflies, birds, and other natural predators prey on the queen, and the queen herself may also make a wrong investment.
05
Improving the Success Rate of Queen Mating
During the mating period, beekeepers should mark the hive entrance with yellow, blue, green, and purple colors to help the queen recognize and return to the nest, preventing the queen from being attacked and injured by being mistaken for another queen.
During the queen’s mating period, do not inspect the colony in the morning. Feeding and checking the queen should be done after 4:30 pm to avoid affecting the queen’s mood.
After the queen emerges, conduct a check to observe whether the queen’s appearance is intact and whether her actions are agile. After the queen emerges, observe the queen’s trial flight situation outside the box on the 3rd to 5th day at noon, and then check the brood comb for eggs or queen cells after 2 to 4 days in the afternoon after 4:30 pm, and respond to the queen’s abnormalities in time.
That’s all for the top 5 frequently asked questions about queen bee mating.
