Interesting Facts About Queen Bees

What makes a Queen Bee a Queen Bee? 

She’s the only bee in the hive laying eggs. Queen Bees are also bigger and live longer than worker bees.

Without a queen, a honey bee can complete her normal adult lifespan of about four-to- six weeks. However, the colony she belongs to will not be able to survive more than a couple of months unless the queen is quickly replaced. Without a new queen, the colony will dwindle as the members die one-by-one.

How can you tell a Queen Bee from other bees? 

Most beekeepers can identify the Queen by sight, but if you’re a new beekeeper, you may have trouble picking her out from the worker bees. The Queen Bee is larger, but more specifically, she is longer. Her lengthy abdomen extends out beyond the tip of her wings, giving her the appearance of having short wings.

What happens if a queen bee stings you?

Every Queen Bee has a stinger and is fully capable of using it. Queen bees, however, almost never sting people; they reserve their stinging for other queen bees. … Given that a queen bee’s stinger is smooth, this means that she can theoretically sting multiple times without losing her stinger and dying in the process.

Why do bees kill their Queen? 

If the queen is producing hungry, lazy, sterile males, then killing her allows one of her daughters to become a new queen, producing genuinely reproductive male heirs. The workers can then help the new Queen perpetuate their collective genetic legacy.

Is there a King Bee? 

Drone bees mate with the queen bees. Sadly, once they mate, they die. The Queen does not have a king at her side.

How long does it take for a virgin queen bee to start laying? 

Expect a newly-emerged Queen to begin laying eggs within two or three weeks.

Do Queen bees mate with their own drones? 

A virgin Queen bee will never mate inside of her own hive as she needs to take flight to mate. … A virgin Queen does not necessarily take just one mating flight. Since she typically mates with up to 15 drones, sometimes she requires more than one matingflight to mate with the right number of drones.

What is the lifespan of a queen bee?

Queens, who are responsible for producing and laying eggs, live for an average of two to three years, but have been known to live five years. Domesticated honey bee Queens may die earlier, as beekeepers “re-queen” the hives frequently. A single queen lays thousands of eggs throughout her life.

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So there you have it, some interesting facts about Queen Bees. I’ll look forward to bringing you some more interesting facts about bees right here in the Honey Pot, Stories From The Hive.

I am off to make a cup of honey tea…have a great day TK x