The mid-air sex lives of bees

Thomas Quigley says beekeepers are obsessed with the sex lives of queens and drones at this time of year    

Beekeepers at this time of year are obsessed with sex, particularly, but hopefully not exclusively, with that which their queen bees and drones become engaged.

In order to keep the bee population high and healthy, beekeepers need to know a lot about the various aspects of a bee’s life — including its sex life and during the months of May and June the beekeeper is as busy at matchmaking, as she or he is at ensuring good production of honey.