# Can a queen feed herself?



## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

The answer is yes.


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## xC0000005 (Nov 17, 2004)

I would say "It depends." Bought two queens from sippybees (on this board). One was the victim of a freak accident - TWO attendants died, wedged into the "edge" of one of the circles. Three other attendants were trapped on the other side. The queen was trapped on the side with the candy. She died. Other queen did well, gentle bees, replacement queen arrived fast (this isn't about customer service, which was great). The queen was trapped with a mountain of food. And she died. I'd say "not always, at least."


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

x,
You call it a freak accident. One in which multiple bees died, and the queen being one of them. And through your reasoning of elimination of all other factors, the queen died due to not feeding herself. Well I'll be danged. Thats proof enough for me! Not!

Knowing, observing, and seeing a queen feed herself is one thing. That I know happens. To equate this into some idea that the queen will live a certain period of time on her own is another. Two seperate questions, two seperate answers.


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

As a side discussion to this question and thread, let me reference "honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping" by Dewey Caron.
Page 4.39 Among describing the queens duties and abilities it states.....

"the queen is very specialized for these duties (egg laying and chemical production) and cannot survive alone or perform the usual necesities such as feeding and grooming."

When you read such printed material, many take the print as black and white with no gray area.

I'll submit that in both accounts, the above statement is wrong about feeding and grooming. I have marked a good number of queen. And I have seen a good number of queens for a considerable period of time after marking them, to exhibit grooming. They can reach, groom, and manuever just as any bee can. Now it can be argued that "normally" a bee has no need to groom themselves, as its done for them by attendants. But they certainly are capable, and I have witnessed it myself many times. Get a little paint on the antennae or a leg, and you will see a queen groom herself easy enough.

The same can be seen with queens caged by themselves. Many times a queen can be seen feeding and licking the candy. How long can they survive? Good question. And do all queens groom themselves out of need or feed for the same reasoning, I can't say. Maybe some don't for "programmed" reasons and "lost" abilities from a learning instinct. But they certainly have the ability to groom and feed.


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## Panhandle Bee man (Oct 22, 2003)

I know that a queen can feed herself, queens have been observed eating from open cells in the brood nest. Virgin queens almost always feed themselves until their pheremone level outputs reach enough of the hive, to attract attendents. 

The big problem is that the queen attendents usually mix her diet for her, thus either stimulating egg laying, or retarding egg laying. So a mated queen will not do well without being fed.


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

I would suspect that many times queens have arrived dead due to dehydration and it was assumed that they starved. Take one that has been sent without attendants, give her a little water and see how fast she takes it up. Even with attendants, when it has been long enough. Take a newly hatched queen put a drop of honey on your finger and see how well she feeds.

I pose a question Panhandle? Why is it assumed that the attendants feed the queen to stimulate her? Yes I have read it many times as everyone has. But am I to assume that she is purely oblivious to her hive? That she doesn't know when to lay eggs? If that be the case, then why would I also read that she is responsible for releasing pheromone which stimulates the colony in many if not all aspects of the daily life in the hive?

Why could I not just as easily assume that she has asked the attendants for a change in her diet to accommodate her needs during the egg laying cycles?

I'm sure that the Queen of England is surely capable of tying her own shoes and dressing herself (I hope  ) But she elects not to in many cases no doubt. Yeah that's a reach and maybe not a good example. But the hive is a matriarchal society.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Can a queen feed herself? general consensus seems to be "no"

I've read many times that a laying queen can't. I can't say for sure about that. But I've seen many a virgin feed herself. I've even seen the bees open up a drone pupae, apparently for her, and the virgin queen was taking the food out of the drone cell. So obviously a virgin can.

The question is can a laying queen. I won't argue what others have observed. I haven't actually seen one feed herself. But they certainly don't live long by themselves in a cage with candy.


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## FordGuy (Jul 10, 2005)

this sure would be tough to know for sure. It seems to touch on many other aspects of control/leadership, (workers/queen who is controlling who?) I'd guess she could open up any cell she wanted to to eat the larvae food? I don't know, just curious.

I found a queen being removed by undertakers. she was tossed out like a drone, I wouldn't know if she was stung, or if she got old and for lack of pheremone, was not fed anymore.


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## peggjam (Mar 4, 2005)

I have seen laying queens fed out of open cells of nector. I have also made the mistate of caging a queen I found in a dying nuc by herself and bringing her home, she was dead the next morning.

I am going to say they can feed themselves, but not to the point that would substain egg laying.

I think everyone can agree that a virgin can feed herself, but virgins arn't laying eggs yet either.


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## 8Ken (May 12, 2021)

Yesterday, I put a new, mated queen in a push-in cage with half a dozen attendants. The push-in cage happened to cover a few open cells of nectar. The queen immediately stuck her head into a cell of nectar and began feeding. I think she was thirsty after traveling through the postal service for a couple of days.


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