Effects of Insemination on the Initiation of Oviposition in the Queen Honeybee

SummaryThe number of days from emergence to the onset of oviposition in 7 groups of queens was as follows: naturally mated queens, 10·33 ± 0·68; free-flying queens treated with CO2, 11·00 ± 0·36; queens instrumentally inseminated by the Mackensen technique, 13·8 ± 1·94; virgin queens treated with CO2, 14·00 ± 0·77; queens instrumentally inseminated, using the washing technique, 14·58 ± 0·53; queens injected with washing fluid, 15·82 ± 1·42; queens injected with Kiev solution, 17·77 ± 1·24. The number of spermatozoa in the spermatheca of naturally mated queens, of queens inseminated by the Mackensen technique, and of queens inseminated by the washing technique, was 4·54 ± 0·7, 3·83 ± 0·47, and 3·02 ± 0·52 millions, respectively. Naturally mated queens started laying eggs earlier than the instrumentally inseminated queens.