Queen Bee Overview
A queen bee is the matriarch of a colony of bees responsible for laying eggs and caring for the young. They can live up to five years and have a special food storage area called a honeycomb. Queens use their sting for protection and to kill insects that threaten the colony.
Queen Bee Reproduction
Worker bees create new queens by transferring larvae to artificial queen cells. Selective breeding is used to develop good queen bees, while some beekeepers specifically breed queens to enhance premium stocks.
Mating and Genetics
Queen bees mate with up to 20 drones during a mating flight to ensure diverse genetic traits in their offspring. Larvae developing into queen bees are genetically identical and fed royal jelly to trigger their development.
Mated Queens
Purchasing a mated queen accelerates hive growth as she begins laying eggs quickly. Breeders can ship mated queen bees for beekeepers’ convenience.
Virgin Queen vs. Mated Queen
The main difference between a virgin queen and a mated queen lies in their reproductive status.