Does queen size matter?

[Hux70]

Inspected a colony today with a new queen. She is quite small compared queens I've seen before. She is only 10 days old and hasn't started laying yet. Will her size have any bearing on how good she will be?

 

[Antipodes]

Inspected a colony today with a new queen. She is quite small compared queens I've seen before. She is only 10 days old and hasn't started laying yet. Will her size have any bearing on how good she will be?

I noticed yesterday that a queen got bigger once laying compared to her size after mating. Is she mated?
The is an excellent article about queen size during maturation. Bigger is generally better as the article explains. Small queens can be ok though.
https://www.rostohar.nl/wp-content/...f-honeybee-queens-during-their-maturation.pdf

 

[user 819]

Maybe not been out and mated yet.

 

[Hux70]

I'm not sure if shes mated yet. The weather hasn't been great so maybe not. I'll have another look in a week or so.

 

[Arfermo]

Probably not mated.

 

[madasafish]

Small Qs can get through QEs

 

[mbc]

The head and thorax are pretty much fixed in size after the last larval moult but the abdomen can double in size once a queen gets mated and comes into full lay

 

[HarryO]

Small Qs can get through QEs

Tell me about it. I have got one of those. Insists on going up into the supers. (I do not want brood and half, double brood etc.) Just want National Brood box (for brood!) and Supers (for honey) I have persevered with her again this year. She does eventually go down into Brood box, and lays well. Think this could be her last year before I retire her.