# Do virgins ever come back from a mating flight with a bee peen stuck in them?



## dixieswife (Apr 15, 2013)

I was poking through some of the hives today and saw a bee, tapered like a queen but as big a typical egg-layin' queen, hustling around on a frame. She had what very much looked like a stinger in her bum. Nobody seemed to be attacking her as she did her thing and the stinger didn't seem to be bugging her. I left her be and just closed up the hive post-look-see.

Since it's a hive that should have a virgin hatching in it soon (if not already) I got to wondering: when bees mate, does the male leave his parts sticking out of her like a stinger in my finger? Was I seeing a drone penis? It wasn't sticking out the back of her, where I'd assume the sting chamber is but a bit to the side. It did kinda look like a stinger that had torn off, but I didn't get a chance to really check her out.

Anyway, just curious. I'm getting better at spotting mated, laying queens, but pretty hit and miss with spotting virgins. I was really just looking for eggs since my queen-spotting was terribad today.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Politely called "mating sign".


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

If it looked link a stinger it might have been an egg


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

If they aren't virgins they do.


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## Agis Apiaries (Jul 22, 2014)

Like Mike said above, mated queens will return with "mating signs." Is what you saw the same as in this video?


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## dixieswife (Apr 15, 2013)

Thanks for the replies and the polite word for it! Aegis if memory serves that's what it looked like. I guess I'll find out for sure next inspection time if there's eggs and I see her again. 

Does the, uh mating sign just fall off through dessication or does a worker clean her up ("Hey, your majesty, you got a little something there..."), or...?


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## Agis Apiaries (Jul 22, 2014)

In the video, it appears that one of her attendants is attempting to dislodge it.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

> Do virgins ever come back from a mating flight with a....

Every time.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Ohh, usually she'll pooped it out in no time.
It will dry out in a day or so and she's going out
again.


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## Matt903 (Apr 8, 2013)

I saw the same thing for the first time last year when I was checking some mating nucs. It got me thinking....glad humans don't reproduce like bees.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Michael Bush said:


> > Do virgins ever come back from a mating flight with a....
> 
> Every time.



well.........technically ..... no they don't..... If they come back with one they are no longer virgins which is what vance was alluding to LOL


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>If they come back with one they are no longer virgins...

Sorry, I missed the obvious...


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Sorry. Moldy old mans attempt at humor


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Vance G said:


> Sorry. Moldy old mans attempt at humor


I thought is was funny, but I'm a dirty old man in training


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