Parthenogenesis, as a method of reproduction in bees, is the process of developing offspring from an unfertilized egg. It is a rather specific and unusual method of producing offspring. Parthenogenesis determines the sex of bees, the uniqueness of male and female individuals. And the queen, laying fertilized and unfertilized eggs, regulates the structure of the bee colony.
What is parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis is asexual reproduction, for which the queen bee is responsible.
The word is of Greek origin and consists of two parts:
- parthenos – virgin;
- genesis - origin.
That is, this type of reproduction is quite rightly called virgin. The development of eggs in the queen bee occurs without fertilization.
However, bees are characterized by a facultative method of reproduction. This is a process that allows you to produce offspring either through pure parthenogenesis (without fertilization) or through fertilization of eggs. From unfertilized eggs, male individuals develop - drones. Consequently, fertilized eggs produce female offspring - females, which are then divided into worker bees and queen bees.
On a note. Males inherit only the characteristics of the mother's body. But females can combine the characteristics of both maternal and paternal organisms.
In southern bee breeds, it is noteworthy that not only male but also female bees can be formed from unfertilized eggs. These can be either worker bees or queens.
Why does the queen lay unfertilized eggs in worker cells?
The queen, immediately after hatching from the pupa, sets off on the so-called “nuptial flight.” During this process, she is fertilized by a large number of drones. The queen stores sperm in special organs called spermatheca.
It is with the collected sperm that the uterus subsequently fertilizes the laid eggs.
Or it doesn’t fertilize. Drone eggs are laid due to:
- unsatisfactory living conditions, which lead to the death of sperm in the seminal receptacle;
- lack of seminal fluid reserves;
- consumption of all material used for fertilization.
In addition, there is the concept of a drone queen.She lays only unfertilized eggs, from which males subsequently develop - drones. A queen bee can become one for many different reasons.
The queen drone deliberately lays her eggs in the drone comb. The diameter of a bee cell is 5 mm, and that of a drone cell is 7 mm. It’s hard not to notice this difference; besides, the queen bee has special hairs on her abdomen. It is they that allow her to distinguish drone honeycombs from the rest.
Why is there no sperm in the queen's sperm sac?
Sometimes it happens that the queen's spermatic receptacle does not contain sperm. This happens for several reasons:
- The seminal substance is absent from the spermatheca from the very beginning. The situation is especially relevant when the uterus was not fertilized during the first month of the “nuptial flight.” This may be caused by unfavorable weather or mass death of males. Such factors lead to the premature end of the mating season in queens. They do not get the opportunity to store seminal fluid, so the “sac” on their abdomen is empty.
- Lack of food, violation of the temperature or humidity level in the hive, problems with breathing or excretion. Under such circumstances, sperm die.
- Finally, the sperm could simply run out. This occurs approximately 3-4 years after the last mating flight of the female bee.
All these factors ultimately lead to the queen becoming a drone.
Problems associated with parthenogenesis and methods and solutions
Bee parthenogenesis cannot be considered a disease. However, it also cannot be called a completely normal phenomenon. There must be a balance in everything, and if the situation goes out of line, action must be taken to correct it.
Parthenogenesis is a natural process. If it proceeds without deviations, then the queen simply lays unfertilized eggs in the drone cells, without removing the sperm from the receiver and without using it. But if the laying is carried out in working combs, then it is urgent to replace the female with a fertile queen.
In addition, it is important to combat polypores. Normally, they do not reproduce, but only collect nectar. But it happens that worker bees begin laying eggs, from which males subsequently emerge. Moreover, such females do not allow fertile queens into the hive, killing them. This threatens to exterminate the entire healthy bee family, so the polypores must be eliminated before they harm other members of their genus.
Parthenogenesis is not a disease, but a method of reproduction in bees. Insects use it to control and maintain a balance between the numbers of male and female representatives. From beekeepers, only one thing is required: to monitor this process and not allow an excessively large number of drones to appear in the hive.
