Drones carry only one type of allele at each chromosomal position, because they are haploid (containing only one set of chromosomes from the mother). During the development of eggs within a queen, a diploid cell with 32 … See more

Drones do not exhibit typical worker bee behaviors such as nectar and pollen gathering, nursing, or hive construction. While drones are unable to sting, if picked up, they may swing their tails in an attempt to frighten the disturber. In some species, drones buzz … See more

Mating between the drones and a virgin queen takes place away from the colony, in mid-air mating sites. These mating sites, called "congregation … See more

A drone is characterized by eyes that are twice the size of those of worker bees and queens, and a body size greater than that of worker bees, though usually smaller than the See more

The drones' main function is to be ready to fertilize a receptive queen. Drones in a hive do not usually mate with a virgin queen of the same hive because the queen flies further to … See more

The drone endophallus is optimized to disperse a large quantity of seminal fluid and spermatozoa with great speed and force. The … See more

Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite, propagates within the brood cell of bees. The Varroa mite prefers drone brood as it guarantees a longer development period, which is important for its own propagation success. The number of Varroa mites can be kept in check by … See more