Queen bee, worker bees and drones: the differences
The social structures of hives are complex but well organized
The hives are particular constructions designed to house a large number of components. Within them, there is a very clear subdivision. The social structure follows a pyramidal shape where at the top we find the queen bee , then the worker bees and in the lower part, the drones .
The coordination and collaboration system that bees can generate is truly fascinating. In fact, these insects have managed to create an impeccable machine in which the work of thousands of individuals manages to coordinate perfectly. But how do bees do all this?
Let's first analyze the role of each caste, and the main differences between queen bees , worker bees and drones.
The role of the queen bee in the hive
The queen bee is the individual necessary for the survival of a colony . The queens are able to monitor the life and activities of the other bees that make up the hive. Their only job is to reproduce.
In fact, the queen bees do not carry out any other task within the family, other than to lay a huge number of eggs per day. The queen bee is the only fertile individual in the colony. Without her presence, the exchange of bees would not be possible and in a short time, the swarm would die.
The fertile queen bees manage to lay up to 2,000 eggs per day ! Through the production of pheromones (particular olfactory hormones) the queens are able to influence the actions of the other bees, in order to perfectly coordinate their work.
The caste made up of worker bees , on the other hand, is made up of all the female bees of the colony. The workers take care of everything. They keep the hive clean, move in search of food, produce honey and also take care of their beloved queen.
What is most surprising is the perfect fit of the roles. A swarm would not be able to survive without the queen bee, but even the latter would not be able to survive without her workers. In fact, the swarm does anything for her sovereign, the other bees produce royal jelly , feed the queen and also keep her warm.
What do drones do inside the hive?
In the lower part of the pyramid, we find the drones or, the male bees . The drones have a marginal role. Their function is limited to the phase of mating with the queen .
The drones do not perform any particular task inside the hive. The workers are very hardworking, while the drones are not even able to provide for themselves. The males are endowed with a shorter mouth apparatus which does not allow them to take the nectar from the flowers and for this they need to be looked after. In fact, it is the workers who take care of them.
At the mating stage, the queen calls all the drones in the nearby hives. Male bees therefore meet in particular meeting points and, in turn, fertilize the queen by performing mating flights . What happens, however, is that after the nuptial flight , the drones lose their lives.
After the fertilization phase, the reproductive organ of the drones remains stuck in the queen and, detaching itself from her body, causes her death. If a drone, for whatever reason, fails to mate, the situation is not as pleasant.
In this case it happens that, once back in the hive, the drone that has not mated is rejected. The workers stop feeding him and consequently leave him to starve.
The development cycle of a bee
Each bee follows a development cycle that starts from the deposition of an egg in the cells hexagonal up to the flickering phase. Female bees will be born from fertilized eggs , while drones will be born from unfertilized ones.
The queen bees come from fertilized eggs inserted in the real cells and not in the hexagonal ones. The royal cells are more spacious built differently from the others.
The queen bee has a faster development cycle that takes just 16 days. That of the worker bees is about 21 days while for the drones it is 24.
The physical characteristics are obviously very different. The larva that develops as a queen bee is fed exclusively with royal jelly and for this reason, its body reaches larger sizes than the workers.
We can then underline another big difference, namely: males do not have a stinger. Therefore, only the females are able to defend themselves. The sting e is a purely female organ. The queen uses it to lay eggs, while the workers use it as a defense tool.
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