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Manchester and District Beekeepers’ Association |
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Phone: 0161-747 7292 To contact us: Email: |
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ABOUT MDBKA / QUEEN / WORKER&DRONE / SWARMING / THE SUPER / THE HIVE / BROOD CHAMBER / PESTS & DISEASE / VARROA / AFB / EFB / SHB / CHALKBROOD / ACARINE/ HIVE PRODUCTS / WAX / BOOKS / STINGS / CONTACTS / APRIL NEWS / TUITION / SWARM COLLECTION SERVICE/ NEWSLETTER/ WAX /
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M.& D.B.K.A. |
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LINKS
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The Queen The queen is the most important member of the colony and can be reconised by her long pointed body. When she hatches out she mates with several drones after which she is ready for a lifetime of laying. She will lay an unfertilised egg in the larger drone cells and a fertilised egg in worker cells .In the height of the season she may lay around 1,500 eggs per day and is attended at all times by an entourage who feed and groom her. Unlike the other bees she lives for up to four years but is usually re placed by a new queen as soon as her laying ability diminishes. Most years she leaves the hive with all the flying bees to form a new colony and it is part of the beekeepers job to prevent or reduce the chance of loosing a swarm to maintain his stock and maximise honey production.
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Fig 7. A Queen with her retinue |
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THE QUEEN & DRONE |
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Fig. 8 Several Queen cells on a brood frame |
