Influence of virgin queen honeybees (Apis mellifera) on queen rearing and foraging

Abstract

Virgin queens are as effective as mated laying queens at inhibiting colonies from rearing queens but not from producing queen cell cups. Colonies without brood produce fewer queen cell cups than similar colonies that have brood. Colonies without queens forage much less and collect less pollen than with either a mated or virgin queen. Colonies with virgin queens forage as much as those with mated queens but collected less pollen.

The foraging behaviour of honey bees, Apis mellifera: a review

“…The first group (in-colony factors) include: queen presence and case (virgin or mated). Higher foraging activity with less pollen collection was found in colonies headed by virgin queens than colonies headed by mated queens while lower foraging activity and pollen collection were found in queenless colonies than in colonies with a mated or virgin queen (Free et al 1985b). Also, foraging activity is impacted by colony strength and brood rearing activity (Amdam et al 2009;Abou-Shaara et al 2013), and the degree of pollen need (Weidenmuller and Tautz 2002).…”

Evaluation of Apis mellifera Carniolan and Africanized honey bees in royal jelly production

“…In the shifts, two combs with sealed brood of lower part were placed in the upper part; and two empty combs were placed in the lower part. In this handling routine, assessments were also performed in the colonies to detect any abnormality, such as the queen on the upper nucleus, absence or irregular egg laying of the queen, lack of food or a virgin queen emerged from a queen cell hiding on a piece of comb that could be affect the larvae acceptance, consequently the royal jelly production (Free, 1985). Two-cup bars with 28 acrylic cups, 14 in the upper picket and 14 in the lower, were utilized in each frame.…”

Pheromone mimicry by Apis mellifera capensis social parasites leads to reproductive anarchy in host Apis mellifera scutellata colonies

“…Queen extract and 9ODA only partially inhibit queen cell construction (Gary and Morse, 1962;Butler, 1954;Boch and Lensky, 1976;Free et al, 1985;Pettis et al, 1995). The tarsal gland "footprint" pheromones and "fecundity signals" from brood, together with the successful transmission of queen pheromone prevent queen rearing (Lensky and Slabezki, 1981;Naumann et al, 1991;Winston et al, 1991;Pettis et al, 1997).…”