# Was this a Virgin or a Layer?



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Next time you wonder if the queen was a virgin, or a mated queen...check the spermatheca. Do this by removing the last couple sebments of the queen's abdomen. Squish this against your thumbnail, forcing out the contents. A tiny sphere will appear. Virgin queens have a clear spermatheca, while mated queens have a milky colored one.

Of course...you have to kill the queen to know for sure. But, since your queen was dead anyway...


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## Korny's Korner (Mar 25, 2007)

Are you sure this was a queen? The picture is not real clear, but to me it looks like a drone being drag out.


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## Aisha (May 2, 2007)

Korny's Korner said:


> Are you sure this was a queen? The picture is not real clear, but to me it looks like a drone being drag out.


Yes. The eyes are small, the abdomen pointed and the color is different; my drones big, black fat boys.


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## Aisha (May 2, 2007)

*Photo of Spermatheca*



Michael Palmer said:


> Next time you wonder if the queen was a virgin, or a mated queen...check the spermatheca.


Thanks, Michael! I still had the dead queen so I did what you said. She was definitely mated. Here's the picture of the milky, white spermatheca.

I also noticed a rough place on her thorax (here's the photo), and I wonder if this was my caged queen and the bees tore the paint marking off, leaving the rough place. However, I thought my caged queen was lighter colored with stronger banding and a little smaller than this one. I'll check later today. 

Fascinating!


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

That bald spot is normal on queens.

http://www.roctronics.com/BEEQUEEN.JPG


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

Thanks so much for posting the pictures and sharing the discussion. To view and to learn is so wonderful, ty again...


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