The queen bee is an interesting insect; she is the mother to all bees in the hive. She is responsible for laying all the eggs that will become female worker bees and male drones. Most of the time the queen lives her life in the hive, attended to by other worker bees who feed and care for her.
Let’s explore some wonderful details about the life of a queen bee.
1. Can Queen Bees Fly?
Queen bees do have the ability to fly, but only in certain situations. Typically a queen bee flies at two important stages of her life. Firstly, the queen bee leaves her hive to mate with male drones from other colonies once she reaches sexual maturity. This is known as a ‘mating flight’ and it typically takes place a few days following her adult emergence. To ensure she collects enough sperm to fertilise for the rest of her life, she may need to make multiple mating flights. The queen can fly a good distance depending on whether or not she can find drones to mate with.
Secondly, a queen bee might leave her hive with some of the worker bees in a process known as ‘swarming’ which happens when the colony decides to split or becomes overcrowded. The queen will then fly to a new location to start a new colony.
2. How many eggs does a queen bee lay?
Healthy and fertile queens are able to lay 2,000 eggs each day. A queen bee usually has one mating flight and gathers enough sperm in the process of the mating flight to lay eggs for the rest of her life. When a queen bee is unable to reproduce, she is replaced with a new queen bee who is responsible for mating and laying bee eggs, which usually measure 1 to 1.5mm (about half the size of a single grain of rice).
In the winter, a queen lays eggs in every honeycomb cell to increase the size of her colony. When eggs are not fertilised, they develop into male drone bees, whereas fertilised eggs hatch into female worker bees who look for food and tend to the colony.
3. How does a bee become a queen?
Female worker bees and the queen bee have the same genes, meaning any female larva has the potential to become a queen. Every hive can only have a single queen. The worker bees choose a few small larvae to potentially become the new queen when a queen bee dies or the colony decides to swarm. The cells in which a queen develops in are known as ‘queen cells’ which are larger compared to the horizontal cells worker and drone larvae develop in.
What makes the queen special is her diet. The chosen larvae eat a special substance called ‘royal jelly’. All bee larvae are initially fed royal jelly which is a highly nutritious substance that contains high protein, sugar and vitamin content. The larvae in the queen cells are continuously and exclusively fed this royal jelly to help them develop the distinctive characteristics of a queen bee.
4. What does the queen bee do?
The queen bee is responsible for reproduction and laying both fertilised and unfertilized eggs. The way the queen lays her eggs affects the efficiency and order of the hive. A robust queen produces a healthy orderly colony by laying her eggs in a consistent brood pattern with few vacant cells between egg-filled cells. The queen also has an impact on the general temperature of the hive, determining whether the colony is more docile or aggressive.
Additionally, if the colony decides to swarm, the current queen or a recently reared queen will lead the swarm to find a new home and build a new colony.
5. What does a queen bee look like?
Queen bees are usually larger and look heavier in size. These key characteristics make a queen bee distinct when observed closely.
- Shape: Unlike worker bees whose bodies are rounder and shorter, a queen bee's body is longer and tapers towards the end.
- Size: Compared to worker bees and drone bees, queen bees are much larger. One of the most obvious characteristics is their extended abdomens.
- Colour: Although this might vary depending on the species, queen bees typically have a slightly darker or golden tone in comparison to the rest of the hive.
- Wings: Compared to worker bees, queen bees have shorter wings that do not extend to the end of their abdomen.
- Legs: When a queen bee moves, her longer legs are frequently visible beneath her abdomen.
- Marker: Beekeepers usually mark the back of a queen in a colour like, blue, red or yellow, this is to easily identify her amongst other bees.
6. How long does a queen bee live for?
A queen bee can live from two to five years, although her longevity can vary based on numerous factors. A queen bee can live longer if the colony she lives in is healthy, has abundant resources and little sickness, allowing her to flourish.
A queen bee can also live longer if she is able to successfully mate with several drones as the more sperm she has stored up, the longer she can continue producing eggs. The longevity of a queen bee can also be influenced by favourable environmental factors including sufficient forage and moderate weather conditions.
It is important to note that even if a queen bee has a long physical lifespan, beekeepers or the other bees in the colony may decide to replace her sooner. This act is known as ‘supersedure’ which involves replacing one queen with another. In this case, a new queen takes control of the colony.
7. Do queen bees sting?
Queen bees indeed can sting. However, they usually do not sting humans or large animals. The primary purpose of a queen bee’s sting is to combat other queen bees, particularly in situations where there is rivalry for the position of queen or during colony building. The queen's stinger is smooth, enabling her to sting repeatedly without endangering herself, unlike worker bees whose barbed stingers become lodged in the skin, often causing them to die.
Summary
The queen bee is a fascinating creature who plays a vital role in the colony. If you are interested in learning more about beekeeping, check out our blog.
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