how long for new queen to mate

[Andre cardona]

7 day a go new queen hatched i see no eggs to day is this the norm

 

[oliver90owner]

Yes.

 

[timk40]

Leave for another 2 weeks. Can take up to three weeks for queens to mate.

 

[Tom Bick]

You will have to be a bit more patient it can take a good few days for the queen to mature to be ready to mate and then she needs a bit of time to orientate to the hive, then go on mating flights weather permitting, then if successful come into lay.

You want to give her at least two more weeks before you start to get concerned and then a couple more before you start to panic.

 

[Andre cardona]

thank you

 

[Midland Beek]

Why **** your bees around when they have a virgin queen in the process of mating?

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

newbe

Why **** your bees around when they have a virgin queen in the process of mating?

Unfortunatly we are still learning and ive done exactly the same, ****** my bees around also, we'll get the hang of it one day !

Dave W

 

[Andre cardona]

Why **** your bees around when they have a virgin queen in the process of mating?

not shore wot your on

 

[drstitson]

"not shore wot your on"

it is normal practice not to disturb hives (especially not in middle of day) with newly hatched queens until likely to be mated (ie a couple of weeks) as may interrupt the necessary toing and froing.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

After emerging, it's 4 days before the queen is redy to fly. Then they mate only in good weather. After mating flights it's a couple of days before they start to lay.
Leave alone for a couple of weeks.

 

[Finman]

.
If weather are good, normal minimum is 10 days.
It mates at the age on 7 days. It needs 2-3 mating days to load the gun and then a day or more to start laying.

I have not met that a queen mates under 18C even if it is sunny. Normally it needs over 20C.

If you have 10 queens from same rearing, it may be several days diffrence when they starts laying. Weathers are not all the time favorable.

 

[drstitson]

as always finman provides rational evidence based response.

 

[Finman]

.
Thanks dritson!

I interested on mating time when I met a queen which used 4 days to mate.
It had a hair of drone genitals in abdomen. Then it was 2 rainy days, and I cannot believe my eyes when I saw again that hair on fourth day.

There are good researches in google, how much queens need time to load the gun.

It was too new to me that queens do not go very far. Mating flights are so short that queens fly only few hunred meters.

There are much fairy tales in old books.

 

[rae]

The first of ours are starting to lay about 3 weeks after emergence, with 3/3 nucs successfully laid up. Despite going through them very carefully,we have seen only 1/3 queens so far, but they must be there, as there are eggs.

The other two were about a week behind, so they are at the "polished cell" stage. Looking good at the moment.

 

[Headnavigator]

.

I interested on mating time when I met a queen which used 4 days to mate.

Interesting to see this, Finman.
Yes can be as little as four days - received swarm with virgin on Tuesday, on Friday (hot, sunny, still) saw her on the front of the hive apparently flexing her abdomen for a minute or more; other bees were very agitated that day, and many drones were about. My guess was that she had been/was going on her mating flight though no flag present. A peek in the hive eight days later ( two days ago) confirmed eggs/larvae. PDQ!

 

[susbees]

Interesting to see this, Finman.
Yes can be as little as four days

What Finman meant was it can take several days of mating flights for the Q to be fully tanked.

 

[Headnavigator]

What Finman meant was it can take several days of mating flights for the Q to be fully tanked.

Ahah, thanks, missed the point!

 

[Erichalfbee]

.


I have not met that a queen mates under 18C even if it is sunny. Normally it needs over 20C.

That's me stuffed then...........but not the two virgin queens waiting since 7th May.

 

[susbees]

That's me stuffed then...........but not the two virgin queens waiting since 7th May.

...they've got til the 23rd. Umm....Our breeding group has loads of apideas going to a mating station w/e after next so you can guarantee torrential rain for the next couple of weeks after that, flood, tempest, hail....

 

[Finman]

.
Virgin from swarmed hive is rapid to lay because it stays at least 2 days inside the queen cell and wait for swarm exit. When they come out from cells, they are ready to jump on their wings.

When a new queen emerge, it is soft and clumsy. It is far from ability fly. What I have seen. That kind of queen may fly on third day.

Many beekeepers are proud that their queen start laying rapidly. - but why not to be a proud dad. But mostly it depends on weather. Then come losses. How many actually will lay in final hive.