Author Topic: Virgin Queens  (Read 7590 times)

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Offline Perry

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Re: Virgin Queens
« Reply #20 on: January 04, 2015, 10:13:18 am »
Well that eliminates that possibility. Gonna wait for Rob to chip in. ;)
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Virgin Queens
« Reply #21 on: January 04, 2015, 11:36:16 am »
Interested as well, because I was always told that a virgin that does not mate WILL become a drone layer..
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Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Virgin Queens
« Reply #22 on: January 04, 2015, 11:38:35 am »
Could of been a late superseded queen that didn't get to make many mating flights and ran out of sperm? the old bees died out and there wasn't enough bees to cover the brood when cold weather hit? Jack

Offline Perry

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Re: Virgin Queens
« Reply #23 on: January 04, 2015, 11:41:33 am »
Could of been a late superseded queen that didn't get to make many mating flights and ran out of sperm? the old bees died out and there wasn't enough bees to cover the brood when cold weather hit? Jack
Hey hey hey, it's quite the day. Jack agreed with me! :eusa_dance:
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Offline LindsayBrower1

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Re: Virgin Queens
« Reply #24 on: January 04, 2015, 11:44:30 am »
Ok I've got input! :
Robo:
"Well,  I don't really know.   It is my understanding that the queen doesn't logically decide to fertilize or not,  but more of a mechanical process.   Something along the lines that the size of the cell determines it.  i.e.  the smaller cell squeezes against her body in a way that causes the sperm to be released and fertilizes the egg.  I could be blowing smoke though.
However this would explain a non-fertile egg in a worker cell if the queen has no sperm.
As far as virgins laying eggs,  I would err on the side of Michael Bush,  he is well read and very knowledgeable."

Michael Bush said " In my experience (and in Francis Huber's Observation) a queen who never mates never lays an egg.  A queen who mates late lays unfertilized eggs.  She doesn't know they are not fertile, of course.  Drone layers were either mated late or they are old and ran out of sperm to fertilize the eggs."
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Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Virgin Queens
« Reply #25 on: January 04, 2015, 12:25:42 pm »
Lindsay, 3 yrs.ago i had a hive similar to yours, it was a strong hive that started to dwindle. The brood all hatched out, then no eggs or larva, i went through the hive twice looking for the queen (non found), so i put another queen in (the 3 hole box kind), checked back three days later found her dead out side of landing board? checked for a queen again (non found)? So i tried putting a frame of eggs in ( to different times) to get them to raise a queen (didn't happen). By this time the hive had dwindled to two frames of bees, so i looked again for a queen, yep, i found her she was about the same sizes as a worker bee, but her pointed tail gave her away. That gives support that a virgin queen can't lay an egg, after thinking about it, i remembered we had a rainy two weeks when she should have been bred when this all started? As for a laying worker knowing if she is laying a non fertile egg or not? i don't think they know, it's just a strong servivle thing in there make up. JMHO. Jack

Offline LindsayBrower1

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Re: Virgin Queens
« Reply #26 on: January 04, 2015, 02:41:51 pm »
I am intrigued by this whole thing...
Can a virgin lay unfertilized eggs?
The more I think about it the more I would have to say that she should be able to. The only purpose the sperm of a drone has given the queen is the ability to fertilize an egg... I think Perry was onto something... If she runs out of sperm she can still lay unfertilized eggs... So I guess the real question here is, does the act of mating suddenly trigger an egg laying ability?
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