We all know of the much-adored queen bee, who is the heartbeat of a honey bee colony. She lays thousands of eggs in the peak seasons to keep the bee populations on top. Unlike the worker bees and drones with short lifespans, she can live up to 5 years. She only mates once in her lifetime with 10-20 drones and stores millions of sperm which she uses her entire life. Drones usually die immediately after mating with her. Queen bees are selected as eggs and raised to be queens of the house. She is replaceable if she does not perform her queenly duties well.

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Is there a King bee?

There are no king bees in a honey bee colony. The operations of the hive do not require a king bee. While every queen needs a king, this is not true of a honey bee colony. The drones in the hive are all equal and serve the same purpose. There are hundreds of drones in each colony while worker bees are in thousands. Their sole purpose is to mate with the queen. They don’t gather nectar or pollen since they are not body parts to accomplish the tasks. They are also not involved in house tasks. They don’t have a stinger and cannot protect their colonies. Mating does not take place in the hive but in drone congregation areas. Many drones from different hives gather in these areas to try their luck. The ones that survive to late fall are kicked out by the workers since there is no brood rearing in winter. 

How can you identify a drone?

The drone’s eyes, situated on top of their round heads, are twice the size of the worker’s. This feature makes them easily recognizable. The big eyes help them to locate the virgins as they fly in the drone congregation areas. They are also heavy-bodied, and the abdomen is stouter than that of worker bees. Their wings are quite large and cover the stomach completely. You will find them around the hive in spring and summer and visit the DCA regularly with the aim of being part of the mating flight. They don’t have wax glands, stingers,s or pollen baskets. They are products of unfertilized eggs. 

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Can a honey bee colony survive without a queen bee?

A honey bee colony will not survive for long without the input of a queen bee. The bee population will decrease until the colony dies out. With the short lifespans of drones and the worker bees, the colony will run out of foragers. The bees can replace a queen bee as the need arises. If a colony is unable to make its own queen, a beekeeper can help out by introducing a caged queen or a frame of freshly laid eggs or brood. 

This is why a Queen Bee Does not need a King Bee

Once the queen mates, she stores sperm in a specialized balled-shaped organ known as spermatheca. These serve her for years. The queen controls whether to lay fertilized eggs or unfertilized ones. Fertilized ones result in female bees, while unfertilized ones result in drones. They mate with several drones hence no need for a king bee. The drones have equal status in the hive.

Do Any Kinds Of Insects Have A King?

While bees have a queen bee that serves as the primary reproductive female in the colony, there is no equivalent “king bee” in bee colonies. In insect societies, including those of bees, ants, and termites, the females typically play the dominant roles, with males serving specific functions such as mating. However, there are some insect species where males exhibit territorial or hierarchical behaviors, but they are not commonly referred to as “kings.” Instead, they may be known by other terms such as “dominant males” or “alpha males.” Overall, the concept of a “king” is not common in insect societies, where reproductive roles are often determined by females.