Mating flight

Signs or indications

Queens flying to or from the colony entrance (not as part of a swarm), sometimes with a small number of accompanying worker bees.

Description

The flight early in the life of a virgin queen happens within the first three weeks of her adult life and within the first week if weather permits. On several flights, the virgin queen mates on average with 15–20 drones. Mating occurs in specific areas where drones accumulate (flying as drone comets) termed drone congregation areas (DCA). Queens fly to DCA's at a further distance while drones fly closer to their home colony, a convention thought to prevent a queen from mating with a brother.

Most closely resembles

Queens exiting hive with swarm.

Resources

Koeniger G,  Koeniger N, Ellis J and Connor LJ. 2014. Mating Biology of Honey Bees. Wicwas Press, Kalamazoo, MI, US. 155 pages.

Ellis J. 2015. Mating Biology of Honey Bees. American Bee Journal 155(12): 1293-1299. https://bluetoad.com/publication/?i=280052&p=33&view=issueViewer and https://bluetoad.com/publication/?m=5417&i=280052&view=articleBrowser&article_id=2319515&search=2015&ver=html5

Bee-Health. 2019. Biology of Individual Honey Bees. Bee Health. Accessed 2023. https://bee-health.extension.org/biology-of-individual-honey-bees/