I am raising my first queen in an observation hive and have a question for those who have observed the process of a virgin queen getting mated before. Background:
My virgin queen emerged at mid-day February 16th.
February 22nd was the first sunny (and non-rainy) day since she emerged and I spotted her outside taking a short practice flight around mid-day (couldn't observe in the afternoon so not sure what she was up to then).
We had rain the 23rd and 24th, so no foragers and no mating flights.
Today (the 25th) was the second sunny day in her brief life. I watched much of the day expecting her to take fight again but it appears she remained in the hive all day - at least whenever I checked she was there...
This evening around 6pm, I twice spotted her in the observation hive being attended by house bees, just like you see in the books. In the many times I have observed her in the past, she has never been attended like this - she just walks around on a solo mission making her way wherever she wants to go over the combs.
So my question is, will a virgin queen ever be attended in this manner by house bees, or is this a definitive sign that she has become mated and is no longer a virgin? She also for the first time appears to be trying to lay eggs (or at least putting up a pretty good imitation - I have not been able to observe any eggs yet).
I have difficulty believing that she could already be mated becasue it would mean a textbook case like clockwork:
- First practice flights and successful mating 6 days after emergence
- Being attended by house bees and trying to lay first eggs 3 days after mating flight (and 9 days after emergence)
Any insight appreciated - does exhibiting laying behavior and being attended by housebees mean I don't need to worry anymore if she is going to successfully mate, or do virgins about 9 days after emergence typically exhibit egg-laying behaviour and get attended to by housebees in any case? Do I need to wait to see signs of open brood before I can be sure she is mated, or can I relax abou this and move on to the next thing to worry about
?
-fafrd
My virgin queen emerged at mid-day February 16th.
February 22nd was the first sunny (and non-rainy) day since she emerged and I spotted her outside taking a short practice flight around mid-day (couldn't observe in the afternoon so not sure what she was up to then).
We had rain the 23rd and 24th, so no foragers and no mating flights.
Today (the 25th) was the second sunny day in her brief life. I watched much of the day expecting her to take fight again but it appears she remained in the hive all day - at least whenever I checked she was there...
This evening around 6pm, I twice spotted her in the observation hive being attended by house bees, just like you see in the books. In the many times I have observed her in the past, she has never been attended like this - she just walks around on a solo mission making her way wherever she wants to go over the combs.
So my question is, will a virgin queen ever be attended in this manner by house bees, or is this a definitive sign that she has become mated and is no longer a virgin? She also for the first time appears to be trying to lay eggs (or at least putting up a pretty good imitation - I have not been able to observe any eggs yet).
I have difficulty believing that she could already be mated becasue it would mean a textbook case like clockwork:
- First practice flights and successful mating 6 days after emergence
- Being attended by house bees and trying to lay first eggs 3 days after mating flight (and 9 days after emergence)
Any insight appreciated - does exhibiting laying behavior and being attended by housebees mean I don't need to worry anymore if she is going to successfully mate, or do virgins about 9 days after emergence typically exhibit egg-laying behaviour and get attended to by housebees in any case? Do I need to wait to see signs of open brood before I can be sure she is mated, or can I relax abou this and move on to the next thing to worry about
-fafrd