How Does a Bee Become a Queen?

How Does a Bee Become a Queen?

By MOBirdy / December 26, 2024
In the intricate world of bees, becoming a queen is no ordinary feat. It’s a journey marked by specialized care, rigorous competition, and fascinating biology. Let’s dive into the captivating process of how a bee transforms into the queen of the hive.
 The Humble Beginning: An Egg Like Any Other
The story of every bee begins with an egg laid by the current queen. These tiny, pearl-like eggs are meticulously deposited into the hive’s hexagonal cells.
After three days, the eggs hatch into larvae—soft, white creatures entirely dependent on the worker bees for survival. At this stage, there’s no difference between a future worker bee and a potential queen.
The Royal Selection
Not every larva is destined for greatness. When the hive needs a new queen—due to the aging of the current queen, her declining productivity, or preparation for swarming—the worker bees identify a few special larvae to receive royal treatment.
These chosen larvae are fed exclusively with royal jelly, a creamy, protein-rich substance produced by nurse bees.
  • Worker larvae diet: Regular larvae receive royal jelly for only three days, then switch to a diet of honey and pollen.
  • Queen larvae diet: Potential queens are fed royal jelly continuously throughout their development.
This diet difference is the key factor that sets a queen apart from the rest.The Power of Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is like a magical elixir for developing queens, influencing their physiology in extraordinary ways:
  • Size: Queens grow larger than worker bees, with a longer, sleeker body designed for reproduction.
  • Reproductive capability: Queens develop fully functional ovaries, unlike the sterile workers.
  • Lifespan: While worker bees live just a few weeks or months, queens can live for several years.
  • Behavioral changes: Royal jelly also enhances the queen’s ability to release pheromones, critical for maintaining hive harmony.
 

  • The Queen Emerges

    After 16 days—much faster than the 21 days required for worker bees—the queen emerges from her uniquely crafted cell. Her entrance into the hive marks the beginning of her royal duties, but first, she must secure her position.

    The Queen’s Battle for Supremacy

    If multiple queens hatch around the same time, a fierce showdown ensues. Each queen is equipped with a sharp stinger, and they engage in deadly combat to eliminate the competition. Unlike worker bees, who die after stinging, queens can sting multiple times without harm.

    The victorious queen becomes the ruler of the hive, while the defeated are removed.

    The Mating Flight: A Sky-High Ceremony

    The newly crowned queen embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime journey called the mating flight. Flying far from the hive, she encounters drones (male bees) from other colonies in midair.

    During this flight, the queen mates with 10 to 20 drones, collecting and storing their sperm in an organ called the spermatheca. This stored sperm will fertilize eggs for the rest of her life, ensuring the genetic diversity and continuity of the hive.

    Settling Into the Role of a Queen

    After her mating flight, the queen returns to the hive and begins her primary responsibility: egg-laying.

    • Egg production: During peak seasons, she can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day. Fertilized eggs develop into female worker bees, while unfertilized eggs become male drones.
    • Pheromones: The queen releases chemical signals that influence the behavior of the hive’s members, maintaining unity and order.
    • Dependence on workers: The queen doesn’t feed or groom herself; worker bees attend to her every need, allowing her to focus entirely on reproduction.

     When the Queen Grows Old

    As the queen ages or her fertility declines, the hive begins preparing for her succession. Workers rear new queen larvae, ensuring the hive’s continuity.

    The old queen may leave the hive with a swarm to establish a new colony or be replaced by one of the newly emerged queens.

    The Queen’s Importance

    The queen is the heart of the hive, responsible for its growth and survival. Her pheromones ensure harmony, and her eggs replenish the population. Without a queen, the hive cannot function and will eventually collapse.

    Protecting bees means protecting their queens, and by doing so, we safeguard the essential role bees play in pollination, food production, and ecosystems.

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