How does a bee become queen?

The honeybees , belonging insects to the genus Apis , they are an eusocial species, that is, they belong to the highest level of social organization of all animals.In the hives, inhabited by swarms , they live together castes of bees: the queen, worker bees (females) and drones (males).

But, how does a bee become queen? In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will solve this and many other doubts about the queen bee, discovering, for example, how to differentiate it from the others and how the fight between the queens occurs.We explain everything to you, keep reading!

The birth of the queen bee

Before answering this question, it is essential to know the two different situations that can generate the need for a new queen : the death of the queen bee (or master bee) or the creation of a new swarm for lack of space in the current one, which will go in search of a new hive.

We denominate swarm to a group of bees, usually on the move.Sometimes, a large group of bees leaves the colony with a queen to settle in a new hive, forming swarms of up to 20 meters.

Before the event, the hive is responsible for raising a new queen , since most species of bees would not survive without her.This phenomenon usually appears when the hive becomes too small to house all its individuals, usually in late spring and throughout the summer, when swarm activity reaches its peak.Now that you know the causes of e raising a new queen, we will discover how a bee becomes queen...

Because worker bees do not live long and the survival of a hive depends directly on the queen, When the workers suspect that they will need a new one soon, they select from 3 to 5 larvae that they will place in the so-called "real cells" , some special, large-sized cells.

These larvae will be fed only with royal jelly , which implies:

Large size , with a protruding abdomen.
A longevity markedly superior to that of other members of the same hive, standing between 3 and 5 years, unlike the workers, who usually live a maximum of 5 weeks.
The ability to lay up to 2,000 eggs a day .
Absence of the suction organ.
Different shades, arriving to reach a bronze color ado.

The fight of the queen bees

Once the larvae have been selected, the workers will take care of them scrupulously until they are born.That is when the queen bee fight takes place, which is basically how a bee becomes queen .

In this quest for queen bees there can only be one left: the strongest .It is important that the queen who survives is the most powerful, because she is the one who will transmit her genetic material at more than 2,000 larvae daily for 3 or 5 years.Once the fight to the death is over, the queen bee prepares to be fertilized by the fastest males .Thanks to this method , the hive will enjoy the birth of strong and fast specimens.

How does the queen bee reproduce?

As we have told you, the males chase the female during the "bridal flight" trying to reproduce with her, however, only the fastest males will fertilize her.full of sperm, the queen bee returns to the hive to rest for a few days, before starting with the laying of eggs that will help the growth of the hive.

Where do the bees lay eggs?

The queen, in addition to being the only bee in the colony capable of breeding and laying eggs, has the control to choose if her eggs produce males or females.But, how does it? To give birth to a female bee, the queen will deposit in a cell a fertilized egg by a sperm and, to give birth to a male, you only have to deposit an unfertilized egg.

How to identify the queen bee?

But how is the queen bee? There are some morphological details that can help us know how to recognize a queen bee :

Among all the bees, the queen is usually the largest , except for some species.
Looking at the body, we can observe in the queen a larger and more robust abdomen .
The sting of the queen bee is not serrated, which allows it to sting at will without dying.On the contrary, worker bees have a serrated sting that causes them to remain in the body of their target, inevitably causing their own death.
The extremities of the queen bee, especially the later ones, are usually remarkably large.
When traveling through the hive, the other bees usually let it pass.

Royal jelly and its importance in the queen bee

A group of workers, known as "nursemaids" are primarily responsible for larvae.They secrete royal jelly through their glandular cephalic system, located in their head.it is a whitish substance , with pearly reflections, gelatinous texture, warm lay.All larvae receive royal jelly in its development stage, but the queen is the only one that receives it completely pure, without water or pollen, throughout its life.

Studies have shown that royal jelly has the ability to modify the DNA of bees that feed on it [1] and it is by this reason that the queen bee differs from the workers.For all this, it seems important to point out that royal jelly is another factor that explains how a bee becomes queen, right?

Discover also in Animals and Pets Online what would happen if there were no bees.They are essential for the ecosystem!

If you want to read more articles similar to How does a bee become queen? , do you We recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.

References

S.Sua, S.Albertb, S.Chena and B.Zhonga; Molecular cloning and analysis of four cDNAs from the heads of Apis cerana cerana nurse honeybees coding for major royal jelly proteins , Apidologie Volume 36, Number 3, July-September 2005, 389-401 07 July 2005.Available at: https://www.apidologie.org/articles/apido/abs/2005/03/M4084/M4084.html

Bibliography

Â «The blog of Reines d'Abeilles-Vie mort des Reines d'abeillesÂ», Achat de reines d'abeilles, â € Ž 25 novembre 2017
"Des abeilles et des hommes" documentaire suisse.

Comments

Frugivoros Animals - Characteristics and +20 Examples

Frugivorous animals are those that base their diet on the consumption of fruits , or much of what they consume is made up of this type of food.In the animal kingdom, many species are frugivorous, from insects to large mammals. The plants that produce fruits are the angiosperms .In this group, the flowers of the female plants or the female parts of a hermaphrodite plant have an ovary with several ovules that, when fertilized by a sperm, thickens and changes color, acquiring very attractive nutritional qualities for animals. 20% of the known species of Mammals are frugivorous animals, so this type of diet is very significant and important among animals. At first glance, frugivorous animals do not seem to possess distinctive features of animals not frugivoros, even less if they are omnivorous animals that, although they can be feed on many products, its main food is fruit. The main qualities appear along the digestive tract , starting with the mouth or beak.In mammals or o...

Why are flamingos pink?

Flamingos are birds belonging to the genus Phoenicopterus , of which three living species are known, Phoenicopterus chilensis (Chilean flamingo), Phoenicopterus roseus (common flamingo) and Phoenicopterus ruber (pink flamingo) , all of them pink when they are adults. This unique bird of great size and peculiar appearance, is able to travel long distances during the time of migration.They live in wetlands, where they feed and raise their chicks , only one per couple.At birth, the chickens are white-gray with certain black areas of the body but, when they reach adulthood, they acquire a marvel and characteristic pink color. In this article of Animals and Pets Online We will discover how this bird acquires this emblematic bird and solve your doubt about because the flamingos are pink , don't miss it! The color of the birds The color of birds is the result of the accumulation of pigments in intergumentary structures (skin or, mainly, feathers).Birds do not produce a...

Malt for cats - Different uses and how often to offer it

Cats are especially clean animals that spend hours grooming.lick ingest a lot of hair.If you live with a cat, you've sure seen it seen coughing and even vomiting hairballs. That's when some people turn to cat malt , a very useful product of natural origin that improves digestion and intestinal transit of our cat. Discover in Animals and Pets Online everything related to malt for cats, including the necessary doses, at what age It should be offered or information about vomiting.All the benefits of this product below: What is malt? Cat malt is a paste of color similar to honey and denser texture .It consists of vegetable oils and fats, malt extract, fiber, dairy products and yeast mainly.It also often contains dyes, preservatives and vitamins. There are numerous brands in the market with different formats.The most frequent is in the form of a tube of toothpaste.The composition varies slightly according to the brand but the basis is malt extract.Some cats show a prefe...

My lovebird has diarrhea - Causes and treatment

Lovebird has become one of the most frequently birds they find in our homes.Their color, their beauty, and that nickname of "inseparable" that we like so much, makes them as appreciated as the canaries were once. But the arrival of any bird, exotic or not , puts us in front of new situations that sometimes we are not accustomed to face.Animals and Pets Online will try to help distinguish pathological situations from those that are not, and to handle us in the event that our lovebird has diarrhea , In the following article we explain the possible causes that cause it . It is not always diarrhea, even if it seems We may notice that there are more liquid stools than usual in our lovebird on the floor of the cage and identify it as diarrhea, even if it is not. Evacuations Sewers in birds are made up of a greenish part (they can vary in color if they take feed, they are real feces), a white part (urates, mineral salts), and a liquid part (urine).Everything goes out...

How to know what size a mongrel dog will be?

When we talk about a mixed breed dog or mixed breed dog , generally we refer to a dog whose ancestry is unknown and that has typical characteristics of two or more breeds.This is usually the result of a non-selective breeding, but generally fortunate, since a mongrel dog can be exactly as good companion as a dog of a certain breed. Due to numerous factors, although here it is worth highlighting the great genetic variability, there are many advantages of having a mongrel dog and it is important to emphasize this point since unfortunately it is usually grant a lower value to a dog of these characteristics.If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed dog, you are surely gathering all the necessary information, if you are wondering how to know what size a mongrel dog will be I didn't leave It is to read this article of Animals and Pets Online. Is it possible to know the size of a mongrel dog? Of course, estimating the exact size of a mongrel dog is not an easy task, although ...

Dog breeds not recognized by the FCI

The FCI is the worldwide canine organization that approves pedigree dogs.There are several dog breeds not recognized by the FCI , even if they meet all the requirements to be considered "pure" breeds from the phylogenetic point of view. In this Animals and Pets Onlinet article We explain to you what these breeds are and why they are not recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale . Do not forget that the breed of the dog is not important unless you want to participate in morphology competitions canine.Read more: In many cases, breeds are not recognized by the FCI because they do not have a detailed written standard .In other cases because they do not meet the requirements established by the FCI.And in other cases, simply because no canine person or organization has bothered Evade the procedure so that these races are recognized by the FCI. It is also possible that political aspects outside the canine organizations have prevented the international diffu...

ALL ABOUT THE FEVER IN DOGS

The fever in dogs or fever Canine is an increase in body temperature above normal values, which are between 38 and 39ºC , due, for example, to an infection or inflammation.There are different causes that cause the fever and we can easily measure it with the use of a digital thermometer. Next, in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain everything you need to know about fever in dogs, causes, symptoms and treatment to be applied to lower it.That is, if you suspect that your dog may suffer from fever, we recommend you go to your trusted veterinarian to discover the cause that is causing it and the treatment indicated according to your specific case. What temperature is considered fever in dogs? Fever is an excellent defense mechanism of the body .By increasing body temperature, the immune system seeks to destroy the pathogen.Therefore, it is a immune system reaction very beneficial for the dog in the face of an illness. The normal temperature of a dog Th...

Can de Palleiro - Character, care and training

The can of Palleiro is the launcher of the breeds of Spanish dogs that develops in Galicia, an autonomous community located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, although is not recognized by any of the most important federations, such as the FCI ( Federation Cynologique Internationale ) or the RSCE (Royal Canine Society of Spain), the Xunta de Galicia and the Can de Palleiro Breed Club have joined forces to give visibility to this exceptional canine breed of Galician origin, which stands out mainly for its virtues as shepherd and guardian dog . In this tab of dog breeds of Animals and Pets Online we will talk in detail about the can of Palleiro, explaining its origins, most notable physical characteristics, habitual character of race, care, basic education and the most frequent health problems.read, you'll be surprised! Origin of the can of Palleiro The canine breed Can de Palleiro develops in Galicia, mainly as a guardian of rural farms and herding of herds ....

Mites in canaries - Symptoms and treatment

Knowing the enemy There is a wide variety of external parasites that can affect our canaries, but without a doubt, one of the most common are Losacaros.These omnipresent arachnids can be from a casual finding, to the person responsible for diseases more or less serious. The passerines (songbirds like canaries, diamonds...), and also the parakeets (psittaciforms), often suffer the undesirable presence of mites, and although certain types of injuries alert us to their existence, in other cases they can go unnoticed for long periods of time, due to the particular cycle of some species. To facilitate the task of recognizing the mites in the Canary Islands, we will divide them into three groups: Cnemidocoptes spp, elacaro responsible for cnemidocoptic mange. Dermanyssus spp, red mite. Sternostoma tracheacolum, mite of the trachea. Cnemidocoptes spp, responsible for cnemidocoptic scabies This is a type of mite in canaries that spends its entire life cycle in the bird (larv...

10 breeds of water dogs

The breeds of water dogs form a large and diversified family of medium sized dogs that stand out for having a woolly and/or curly mantle, active behavior and remarkable vocation for aquatic activities.Historically, these dogs were associated with the fishing and small game , serving mainly as bird collectors and small aquatic mammals. Subsequently, due to their energy temperament, versatility and predisposition to training, water dogs managed to adapt easily to other activities and canine sports, but also they became very appreciated company dogs, despite their slightly independent character. If you are thinking of adopting a water dog or you like to know more about the history of the different dog breeds known today, you have arrived at the pagi na ideal.In this article of Animals and Pets Online, we invite you to learn more about the 10 breeds of water dogs most famous around the world.Do not miss them! 1. Caniche or poodle Standing out as one of the most intelligent do...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog