The queen honey bee is the leader of the entire bee colony. It can be difficult to find her among the many bees in a hive. To do this, you need to know what the queen bee looks like. In this article we will look at the main features of the queen bee’s appearance so that you can distinguish her from other bees in the hive.
Bee queen size
The distinguishing feature of the honey bee mate is size. As a rule, a bee queen is larger in length and weight. The body length is 2-2.5 cm and the weight varies from 18 to 33 g.
The queen’s body is long, with an elongated abdomen that extends quite a bit beyond the wings. That is, the wings are much shorter than its body.
Appearance characteristics
The body itself is smoother, glossy, and bald. There is a black round dot on the back of its thorax. The legs are noticeably longer than those of worker bees. Unlike other bee species in the hive, the queen bee has much smaller eyes.
The colour of the bee queen
The queen bee can be of different colours depending on the breed. There are yellow, grey, brown, black, reddish and black.
Characteristics of movement
The fetal queen moves slowly and is difficult to move, because the sperm of the drones in her gives her weight. As a result, she does not leave the hive unnecessarily. Only in case of mating or swarming. The queen is constantly surrounded by worker bees who care for and feed the queen.
Features of the internal construction
There are no differences in internal structure. The main difference of the queen bee vs worker bee and drone is the developed ovaries. These are the female reproductive organs with which she lays eggs.
Conclusion
Now you know what queen bees look like. Although they may vary in colour, their appearance will help to identify them from the other bees in the hive.
