Yes, in some cases, when a colony decides to replace their queen, the existing queen can be killed by worker bees. This process is sometimes informally referred to as "royal assassination."

Question

When a queen's health declines, her egg production drops, or if she is not performing well, the worker bees may rear new queen cells. Once the new queens emerge, they will often fight each other, with the last one standing becoming the new queen.

If the colony is actively rearing queen cells, the workers might also decide to eliminate the old queen, especially if they perceive her as no longer fit to lead the colony. The workers can show aggression toward her, and they may sting her to death. This process allows the colony to ensure they have a productive and healthy queen to maintain their population and vitality.

This behavior may seem harsh from a human perspective, but it is a natural part of the colony's survival strategy and reflects the bees' instinct to ensure the health and continuation of their hive. If you have more questions about bee behavior or other topics, feel free to ask!
So when you say "they will often fight each other, with the last one standing becoming the new queen."
does that mean the worker bees kill each other to become the queen??

Answer 1

No, the worker bees do not kill each other in the process of becoming the queen. When multiple new queens emerge from their queen cells, they typically engage in fights with each other. The queens will face off, and the fights involve stinging and potentially killing each other; however, it is the queens doing the fighting, not the worker bees. This fighting among the queens is a natural process whereby the strongest or most dominant queen survives, becoming the new reproductive leader of the colony.

Once a new queen has emerged, she will begin her reign by mating with drones and then starting to lay eggs. The worker bees support the new queen and will often eliminate any remaining rival queens that did not win the fight to assume control. This process ensures that the colony remains led by a single, healthy queen, maintaining its organization and productivity.

Answer 2

so that means queens from other hives come and fight each other and some of them lose but still live? right?

Answer 3

Not exactly. In typical scenarios of queen replacement or swarm formation, the queens that fight are from the same hive, not from different hives. When a colony begins to rear new queens, usually due to the old queen's declining performance or other factors, the worker bees create multiple queen cells. Once the new queens emerge, they will fight each other in the same hive.

The winning queen will go on to become the sole queen of the hive, while the defeated queens are usually killed. However, these defeated queens may not always die immediately from the fights; sometimes, they may be found and killed later by the worker bees.

In cases of swarming, the old queen may leave the hive with a portion of the worker bees to establish a new colony, while the remaining workers stay behind with the newly emerged queen. In that scenario, if the old queen is still alive and competes with new queens, it typically involves different dynamics, but fighting still occurs mainly between the newly emerged queens in a shared hive.

Queens from different hives do not typically come together to fight each other; their interactions primarily occur within the same colony.

Answer 4

wait what are queen cells?

Answer 5

Queen cells are specialized structures that honey bees create to rear new queens. They are distinct from regular brood cells, which are used for worker bees and drones. Here’s a more detailed overview:

Characteristics of Queen Cells:

1. Shape and Size: Queen cells are larger and elongated compared to standard honeycomb cells. They often resemble a peanut or an elongated teardrop and are usually found hanging vertically from the comb.

2. Construction: Worker bees build queen cells when they decide to raise a new queen. The cells are made from beeswax and are typically located at the edges of the comb or in a special area designated for queen rearing.

3. Egg Laying: The process starts when the worker bees choose certain fertilized eggs, usually around 3 days old, and place them in these specially constructed cells. The eggs are then fed a special diet of royal jelly, which triggers the development of a new queen.

Purpose:

• Queen Replacement: Queen cells are often created when the colony needs to replace an aging or failing queen. The worker bees sense health issues with the existing queen or a drop in egg production.

• Swarming: Queen cells can also be part of the process when a colony swarms. In this case, the old queen leaves with a portion of the colony to form a new one, while the remaining bees stay with the new queen(s) reared in the queen cells.

Development:

After about 16 days from the egg being laid, the new queen emerges from the queen cell. If multiple queens are reared, they may fight each other to determine which one will become the reigning queen of the colony.

In summary, queen cells are crucial for the reproduction and survival of honey bee colonies, allowing them to produce new queens as needed.

Answer 6

so pretty much they take normal bee eggs and put them in this comb thing and give them a special diet??

Answer 7

Yes, that's essentially correct! When worker bees decide to rear a new queen, they select specific fertilized eggs (which would typically become female worker bees) and place them into specially constructed queen cells. Here’s a breakdown of the process:

1. Selection of Eggs: The worker bees choose very young fertilized eggs, usually about 1 to 3 days old.

2. Construction of Queen Cells: The worker bees build the queen cells from beeswax, making them larger and differently shaped than regular brood cells.

3. Feeding with Royal Jelly: Instead of the regular diet of pollen and nectar, the larvae inside queen cells are fed a special substance called royal jelly. Royal jelly is a nutrient-rich secretion that worker bees produce. It is high in protein and is essential for the development of a queen bee. The exclusive consumption of royal jelly during development triggers the larvae to develop into a queen rather than a worker.

4. Development: The larvae grow inside the queen cells for about 16 days, after which they pupate and eventually emerge as adult queens.

This unique process allows the colony to replace an old or sick queen or to prepare for swarming by producing multiple queens, enhancing the colony's chances of survival and reproduction.

Answer 8

Which two groups of elements in the periodic table are the most reactive?(1 point) Responses alkali metals and halogens alkali metals and halogens halogens and noble gases halogens and noble gases alkaline earth metals and halogens alkaline earth metals and halogens noble gases and alkali metals

Answer 9

The two groups of elements in the periodic table that are the most reactive are the alkali metals and halogens.

• Alkali metals (Group 1) are highly reactive, especially with water and halogens.
• Halogens (Group 17) are also very reactive, particularly with alkali metals, to form salts.

So the correct response is alkali metals and halogens.

Answer 10

Use the periodic table to answer the question. Which statement about nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) is correct? (1 point) Responses They have the same number of valence electrons. They have the same number of valence electrons. They have the same number of electron shells. They have the same number of electron shells. They are both inert. They are both inert. They are both classified as halogens. They are both classified as halogens. Skip to navigation

Answer 11

The correct statement about nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) is "They have the same number of valence electrons."

Both nitrogen and phosphorus are in Group 15 of the periodic table, which means they each have 5 valence electrons.

• They do not have the same number of electron shells; nitrogen has 2 electron shells while phosphorus has 3.
• Neither nitrogen nor phosphorus is classified as inert (in fact, nitrogen can be reactive under certain conditions).
• They are also not classified as halogens; halogens are found in Group 17.

So, the answer is that they have the same number of valence electrons.