Bumble bees engage in mating, a fundamental process that ensures the continuation of their species. This act leads to the establishment of new colonies each year. Understanding this reproductive behavior provides insight into the complex social organization and survival strategies of these important pollinators.
The Mating Ritual
Bumble bee mating occurs in specific outdoor locations. Male bumble bees, known as drones, often patrol specific flight paths or aggregate in designated areas, where they await the arrival of new queens. These areas are usually marked by scent, as drones release pheromones to attract receptive queens. When a queen flies into such an area, drones will pursue her, attempting to initiate copulation.
The mating process can last from 10 to 80 minutes. During copulation, the male mounts the female, and sperm is transferred. The act concludes with the male often inserting a mating plug, a gelatinous substance, into the queen’s reproductive tract, which may serve to prevent further matings or protect the transferred sperm.
Roles and Fates of Mating Bumble Bees
The new queen and the drone fulfill distinct, yet complementary, roles. The drone’s primary purpose is to transfer sperm to a new queen. After mating, the drone’s life cycle typically concludes within a few days or weeks, as they do not contribute to the colony’s labor or overwintering efforts.
The newly mated queen can found a new colony. She possesses a spermatheca, where she can store the sperm. This stored sperm will remain viable for many months, allowing her to fertilize eggs throughout the entire lifespan of her future colony. Bumble bee queens generally mate only once during their lifetime, making this single event incredibly significant for her reproductive success.
The Reproductive Cycle of Bumble Bee Colonies
The mating of bumble bees is a seasonal event, occurring late in the colony’s annual cycle. As the existing colony matures through the summer, it shifts its focus from producing workers to generating new reproductive individuals: young queens and drones. These new queens and drones emerge from the nest to seek mates, often in late summer or early autumn.
After successful mating, the newly fertilized queens will search for suitable locations to overwinter, typically underground in a small chamber called a hibernaculum. They enter a state of dormancy, surviving the cold months on stored fat reserves. The following spring, these solitary queens emerge from hibernation, locate a suitable nesting site, and begin laying eggs to establish their own new colonies.