Queen Mating Systems

Queen mating systems cover the small boxes in which a young (virgin) queen can make her mating flights safely, and the set-ups used to control which drones the queen mates with (open mating, isolated mating stations, instrumental insemination). Because mating takes place in the air and out of the beekeeper's sight, this is the stage of queen rearing with the highest losses and the greatest genetic uncertainty. Below you will find how mating happens, the types of mating box, ways of reducing losses and a comparison of the methods.

How does a queen mate?

After emerging from her cell, a queen matures for a few days and usually goes on mating flights when she is 5–7 days old, on warm, sunny, windless afternoons. After short orientation flights around the hive, she flies to drone congregation areas, where drones gather in the same places every year. These areas are open spots sheltered from wind, at a certain height above the ground; they may be several kilometres from the hive.

Over one or several flights a queen usually mates with around 10–20 drones. The drone dies during mating; a pale fragment left by the last drone (the mating sign) may be seen at the tip of the queen's abdomen. The sperm she receives is stored in her sperm storage organ (spermatheca), and she uses it for years. Laying begins a few days after mating.

Mating with many drones gives the colony genetic diversity. Thanks to groups of workers with different fathers, the colony adapts better to disease, temperature changes and the division of labour. That is why mating quality is as important as the quality of the queen herself.

Types of mating box

How do you set up a mating box?

1. Bees: Young bees shaken from the honey super or brood frames of a healthy colony are put into the box (make sure the queen is not among them). Young bees are less likely to abscond.
2. Food: Give candy in the feeder compartment of mini nucs, and a frame of honey and pollen in nucleus hives. A small colony that goes hungry loses its queen.
3. Queenless period: Leave the box for a few hours to a day so the bees realise they are queenless; mini nucs are kept closed in a cool, dark place during this time.
4. Cell or queen: Give a ripe cell (day 10 after grafting) or a virgin queen in a cage.
5. Placement: Take the box to the mating site and open the entrance; don't open it unnecessarily in the first few days.
6. Checking: Check for the queen's emergence 2–3 days later, and for eggs about 10–14 days after emergence.

Open mating

This is the most common and easiest route: the queen mates naturally with drones from the apiary and surrounding apiaries.

• Advantage: No extra equipment or cost; natural diversity is preserved.
• Limitation: The father's side of the genetics cannot be controlled. In breeding work this is a significant shortcoming.
• Improvement: By rearing plenty of drones in selected colonies in the apiary (drone saturation), the local drone pool can be shifted in favour of the desired line.

What is an isolated mating station?

An isolated mating station is set up in a location with no other honey bee colonies nearby, such as an island, a high mountain valley, a large forest or non-agricultural land. Only drone colonies from selected lines and the boxes of the queens to be mated are brought to the site. This makes it very likely that the queens will mate with those drones.

• Advantage: Cheaper than instrumental insemination and can be used for large numbers of queens.
• Limitation: It is not full control; a hidden wild colony or another apiary nearby spoils the result. Finding a suitable, protectable location is difficult.
• Rule: Only authorised boxes, with no drones or with drones held back by an excluder, may be brought to the site; otherwise the station's genetic security is compromised.

Many countries have protected mating stations run by associations or institutions to conserve native bee races and breeding lines. In some regions of Türkiye, too, bringing in queens and colonies from elsewhere is restricted in order to protect the native bee race.

What is instrumental insemination?

Instrumental insemination (artificial insemination) is the only method that fully controls the father's side. Sperm collected from selected drones is introduced into the reproductive tract of an anaesthetised virgin queen using a special apparatus under magnification. Inseminated queens usually start laying shortly afterwards and are kept in boxes with an excluder over the entrance so they cannot fly out.

• Advantage: Both sides of the genetics are known; indispensable for breeding programmes and scientific work.
• Limitation: It requires equipment, lengthy training, a laboratory set-up and time; it is not practical for large-scale commercial production.

How can queen losses on mating flights be reduced?

A large share of queen losses happen when a queen returning from her mating flight enters the wrong box and is killed, or is taken by birds. The arrangement of the boxes directly affects these losses:

• Different orientations: Have the boxes or compartment entrances face different directions.
• Distinct markings: Put different colours and shapes (circle, triangle, stripe) around the entrances.
• Avoid straight rows: Don't line up identical-looking boxes in long, straight rows; use groups, circles or irregular spacing.
• Natural landmarks: Place boxes next to landmarks such as trees, bushes and rocks.
• Don't disturb them at flight time: Don't open the boxes in the afternoon, during flight hours.

Weather and queens that fail to mate

Mating flights need warm, sunny, calm weather. Cool, rainy or windy days delay flights. If a queen cannot mate within about three to four weeks, she largely loses the ability to mate and starts laying unfertilised eggs. Such a queen rears only drones (a drone-laying queen) and must be replaced.

Comparison of mating methods