Queen Bee Research Articles

Measuring the Queen Bee Phenomenon in technically efficient firms: implications from Southeast Asian manufacturers

This study examines the “Queen Bee Phenomenon,” that is, Southeast Asian manufacturers having female CEOs and owners. In addition, the buffering effect of female CEOs and owners on manufacturers seeking higher technical efficiencies is also examined in this research. This study uses the fractional regression and two-limit Tobit regression models to examine a combined set of cross-sectional data from surveys conducted by the World Bank, consisting of 3471 manufacturers in Southeast Asia, including those in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Our results find that the “Queen Bee Phenomenon” does not exist in Southeast Asian manufacturing enterprises. Furthermore, manufacturers with higher technical efficiency levels are likely to hire fewer female workers; nevertheless, if female CEOs and owners run these technically efficient firms, hiring more female workers can be noticed. This research demonstrates that globalization through FDI and exports may promote female labor force participation among Southeast Asian enterprises and those seeking greater technical efficiencies.

MONITORING THE ABSENCE OF QUEEN BEE IN THE HIVE USING DEEP LEARNING AND HILBERT HUANG TRANSFORM

In this paper, we present a fusion method to monitor the absence of the queen bee in a hive using a combination of deep learning neural networks, support vector machine (SVM), and Hilbert Huang transform. First, we collect the sound data from the hive in the presence and missing of the queen bee using the Internet of Things system (IoT). Next, we slice the received audio signal into small chunk with a duration of 10 seconds. In the next step, we perform the Hilbert Huang Transform on each chunks to obtain the spectral image of the audio signal with and without the queen bee. Finally, we use the obtained spectral images to train and test the deep learning neural networks model combined with a support vector machine (SVM) to classify the spectral image of the audio signal with and without the queen bee. The test results on the test set achieved a classification accuracy of 98.61%.

Mobbing Ve Kraliçe Arı Sendromu Ekseninde Pembe Tacizin Kadın Çalışanlar Üzerindeki Etkileri

The aim of this study is to determine whether pink harassment, a concept that has become widespread in our country and is tried to be overcome, is applied in educational organizations in the context of queen bee syndrome, and if so, to what extent it is, and to reveal the thoughts of female employees (mobbing) about pink harassment. In the first part of the study, the problem situation was revealed through the variables that determine the purpose of the project, and in the second part, the literature studies were mentioned under the headings. In the conclusion section, examples of research studies conducted on our relevant variables are included. When these examples were evaluated, it was concluded that pink harassment on the axis of mobbing and queen bee syndrome had a negative psychological and psychological impact on female employees. Keywords: Mobbing, Queen Bee Syndrome, Glass Ceiling Syndrome, Pink Harassment, Emotional Harassment.

Increased Mass-Rearing of Queens in High Royal-Jelly-Producing Honey Bee Colonies (Apis mellifera ligustica) Generates Smaller Queens with Comparable Fecundity

The mass rearing of high-quality queen bees is an essential beekeeping practice for producing new queens to maintain colony productivity. A strain of high royal-jelly-producing bees (RJBs; Apis mellifera ligustica) in China exhibits high potential for the rapid mass rearing of queens. To explore the potential changes in the quality of mass-reared queens, a set of morphometric traits and the sealed brood area were compared between the queens reared from 64 and 320 queen cells in RJB colonies. The increase in the queen cell number was found to induce a slightly but significantly reduced body weight and smaller wing length and thorax width in the reared queens at emergence. However, the ovariole number and sealed brood area, an indicator of the queen fecundity, were not observed to be significantly influenced. With respect to body weight and ovariole number, all the reared queens satisfied the current criteria for high-quality queens. Our findings provide evidence for the efficient mass production of high-quality queens using RJB colonies.

Developmental exposure to hormone-mimicking insect growth disruptors alters expression of endocrine-related genes in worker honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) brains and hypopharyngeal glands.

Division of labor within a honey bee colony creates a codependence between bees performing different tasks. The most obvious example of this is between the reproductive queen and worker bees. Queen bees lay 1,000 or more eggs a day, while young worker bees tend and feed queens. Young workers and queens can be exposed to pesticides when foragers return to the hive with contaminated resources. Previous research has found negative effects of larval exposure to insect-growth disruptors (IGD) methoxyfenozide and pyriproxyfen, on adult responsiveness to artificial queen pheromone. The present work investigates potential physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning this behavioral change by examining the development of hypopharyngeal glands and ovaries as well as the expression of genes related to reproduction and worker endocrine signaling in the brain and hypopharyngeal gland tissues. Though hypopharyngeal gland and ovary development were not altered by developmental exposure to IGDs, gene expression differed. Specifically, in the brain tissue, ilp1 was downregulated in bees exposed to pyriproxyfen during development, and Kr-h1 was downregulated in both methoxyfenozide- and pyriproxyfen-exposed bees. In the hypopharyngeal glands, Kr-h1, EcR-A, EcR-B, and E75 were upregulated in honey bees exposed to methoxyfenozide compared to those in the pyriproxyfen or control treatments. Here we discuss these results and their potential implications for the health and performance of honey bee colonies.

Dispelling the Myth of the “Queen Bee Syndrome”: Assessing Women’s Professional Relationships with Women in Christian Higher Education

Over the past five decades, a gender stereotype known as “Queen Bee Syndrome” has persisted, portraying some women who have risen to leadership roles in male-normed organizations as being self-preservationist and individualistic, even to the extent of intentionally undermining the professional advancement of other women. Use of this term can be traced to the competitive dynamics among female bees in a colony, with only one emerging and dominating as the “queen.” Yet the researchers who coined this concept in the 1970s later expressed concern that their findings had been misunderstood; Queen Bee behaviors on the part of top-level women are an anomaly rather than the norm. In fact, women’s working relationships with women have received only limited research attention, with the literature reflecting a spectrum of perceptions and experiences. This study examined the reported prevalence of both Queen Bee behaviors and supportive, generative relationships that enhance the prospects for women’s career advancement. Whereas previous studies focused primarily on the corporate context, this study focused on the context of Christian higher education. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to examine the relational experiences and expectations between and among 24 women participants (12 cabinet-level and 12 emerging leaders), drawing on data from two rounds of interviews. Overall, this study found patterns of strong and beneficial professional relationships among women, including support for one another’s leadership aspirations and career advancement. Key findings are summarized in three major themes regarding the experiences and expectations of women within each group and in relation to the other: (a) the centrality of women’s relationships with women; (b) women’s relational experiences versus expectations; and (c) divergent understandings of the Queen Bee Syndrome. Recommendations for relevant programming and policies that can support the advancement of women at all organizational levels, along with suggestions for future related research, are provided.

Critical Note on Incubation of Capped Queen Cells and Need for Research

Critical Note on Incubation of Capped Queen Cells and Need for Research

Communication among animals and bioacoustics studies on bees.

The communication of honey bees encompasses diverse forms, focusing on signals that resemble those in the learning process. Bioacoustics plays a crucial role in understanding this phenomenon, especially in the context of social insects, where communicative coding is complex and essential for survival. In this article, various aspects of bee communication are analyzed, examining both acoustics and other forms of information transmission. In the bee family, there are several communication mechanisms, such as the dance of bees, vibrations, buzzing, and singing. The dance communication of honey bees, based on dance movements, dates back as far as 40 million years, making it older than human language. This form of communication is linked to environmental needs and determines the survival of bees. Signals from queen bees are associated with reproductive needs within the colony, and other individuals exhibit diverse sound characteristics. Different species of bees utilize various aspects of the environment for communication, including gravity and the position of the sun. The precision of transmitted signals may depend on the distance to a food source or potential threat. Sounds emitted by bees serve diverse functions, such as deterring predators or recruiting other individuals for food collection. Modern technologies, especially bioacoustics, enable more precise studies of bee communication. Advanced methods of vibrational spectrum analysis even allow the prediction of swarming with high effectiveness, which can be particularly useful in beekeeping practices. Studies on the bioacoustic hive, utilizing stereo microphones and soundproofing, indicate the potential of these technologies for a better understanding of bee communication in natural conditions. However, many aspects of bee communication still require more detailed research, such as the role of honey-filled cells in transmitting vibrations, necessitating the use of precise tools and technologies. The bioacoustic hive project, based on traditional bee frames, provides new insights into bee communication, especially concerning sounds generated during bee collisions within the hive. Conclusions from bioacoustic studies have significant practical potential in apiculture. The use of stereo microphones and soundproofing improves the perception and assessment of acoustic phenomena within the hive. Prospects for utilizing sound recorders for continuous monitoring of life inside the hive, and the assessment of zoo-hygienic conditions, underscore the growing importance of bioacoustics in beekeeping practices. These discoveries open new perspectives for research into the social life of these crucial insect species and their conservation.

Correction to: Requeening queenright honey bee colonies with queen cells in honey supers

Correction to: Requeening queenright honey bee colonies with queen cells in honey supers

Advancing Beekeeping: IoT and TinyML for Queen Bee Monitoring Using Audio Signals

Advancing Beekeeping: IoT and TinyML for Queen Bee Monitoring Using Audio Signals

The significance of queen bee eggs in beekeeping (in the conditions of Bukhara region)

In the conditions of Bukhara region, increasing the productivity of queen bees in the bee family is carried out in several ways. In the scientific research work, methods such as artificial breeding of queen bees and biotechnological supplementary feeding of the bee family were used. These biotechnological methods have helped to increase the productivity of the queen bee. This technology shows the productivity of the queen bee, an increase in the number of eggs, an increase in the efficiency of the worker bees, a significant increase in the weight of the queen bee, and the number of egg tubes in her ovary is slightly higher.

The Rational Use of Oxalic Acid Against to “Varroa Destructor”; Regional Scale Pilot Scheme

Varroa destructor mite poses a serious problem for the future of bee populations around the world. Today, there are many commercial drugs with the same and different active ingredients on the market to chemically control over of Varroa destructor. More frequent chemical applications for against Varroa destructor increases stress resilience, colony losses, loss of yield and residue problems in bee products. The scope of this project is aimed to determine the appropriate control method of Varroa by investigating the efficiency values of the evaporation and dropping methods of Oxalic acid. Experimental area were chosen three different apiaries. 28 colonies were determined in each apiary and equalization studies (area with brood, number of bees with bees, age of queen bees, honey, pollen, etc.) were carried out in these colonies. The determined colonies were randomly divided into 4 groups as 7 colonies. The first group is the control group, the second group is applying 2 g of oxalic acid by vaporizing, the third group is 4% oxalic acid 5 ml of sugar syrup (1:1) is dropped between the frames, and in the fourth group, the fight against a drug that is determined by the beekeeper in the market without interfering with the beekeeper. In order to evaluate the data, samples were taken for four periods, before and after spraying in spring and autumn. While the varroa measurements in the group of syrup, vapor and spraying were found to be statistically less than the control group, the syrup, vapor and spraying groups were statistically similar in terms of varroa measurements. Oxalic acid syrup application showed higher efficiency in spring and autumn than vapor application. There is no statistically difference between both two-application method reveals that it can be used as an effective and safe alternative to chemical control against varroa.

Comparative 4D Label-Free Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Bombus terrestris Provides Insights into Proteins and Processes Associated with Diapause.

Diapause, an adaptative strategy for survival under harsh conditions, is a dynamic multi-stage process. Bombus terrestris, an important agricultural pollinator, is declining in the wild, but artificial breeding is possible by imitating natural conditions. Mated queen bees enter reproductive diapause in winter and recover in spring, but the regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we conducted a comparative 4D label-free proteomic analysis of queen bees during artificial breeding at seven timepoints, including pre-diapause, diapause, and post-diapause stages. Through bioinformatics analysis of proteomic and detection of substance content changes, our results found that, during pre-diapause stages, queen bees had active mitochondria with high levels of oxidative phosphorylation, high body weight, and glycogen and TAG content, all of which support energy consumption during subsequent diapause. During diapause stages, body weight and water content were decreased but glycerol increased, contributing to cold resistance. Dopamine content, immune defense, and protein phosphorylation were elevated, while fat metabolism, protein export, cell communication, signal transduction, and hydrolase activity decreased. Following diapause termination, JH titer, water, fatty acid, and pyruvate levels increased, catabolism, synaptic transmission, and insulin signaling were stimulated, ribosome and cell cycle proteins were upregulated, and cell proliferation was accelerated. Meanwhile, TAG and glycogen content decreased, and ovaries gradually developed. These findings illuminate changes occurring in queen bees at different diapause stages during commercial production.

Penentuan Rute Distribusi Feasible untuk Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows dengan Metode Sequential Insertion Pada CV. Hagia Mitra Mandiri

CV. Hagia Mitra Mandiri is a company that distributes black queen bee honey products. Problems faced by CV. Hagia Mitra Mandiri in the distribution of its products, namely that the company has not yet planned product delivery routes to various customers of bitter black queen bee honey in the Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Bekasi and Karawang areas. As a result, product delivery routes often exceed customer working hours, which can make delivery schedules less than optimal in terms of distance, travel time and delivery costs. This research aims to design the route that each vehicle must take according to the user's working hours, with the aim of optimizing the total travel distance. The method used is the sequential insertion algorithm method to solve the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows problem model. The sequential insertion method is used to plan proposed distribution routes by considering travel distance, travel time and transportation costs. The research results show that there are differences in the proposed route from the initial route. The proposed route resulting from the calculation of the sequential insertion algorithm method produces the best distance, namely 307 km with a savings ratio of 18.13%, a comparison of total transportation cost savings of Rp. 58,758 and the difference in fuel usage is 7.55 liters. The total travel time is 667 minutes and the total travel time ratio is 9.01%.

The effect of larval age, and wet and dry grafting, on the rearing of queen bees using the Doolittle grafting method

AbstractHoney, which is medicinally very important, is the major product of honeybees. The role of the honeybee queen is crucial in maintaining the health and stability of the colony as it is responsible for reproducing and maintaining the population of the hive. Productive and healthy honeybee queens ensure the success of the colony. Various factors, such as parasites, diseases, lack of food and habitat, climate change, genetic defects, and exposure to pesticides, can lead to the failure of the queen bee. Therefore, applications of artificial queen‐rearing techniques in beekeeping positively affect the growth of honeybee queens with desirable characteristics. This current research was conducted at the KUST Model Bee Form of Kohat University of Science and Technology, on Apis mellifera honeybee colonies during spring 2021. In this study, the Doolittle grafting method was used for the rearing of the A. mellifera queen bee. A total of 230 larvae of different ages (12–24, 24–48, and 48–72 h old larvae were used for grafting. Of these 230 grafted larvae, the number of queen cup cells accepted was 139 and the number of emerged queen cup cells was 82. The queen cell acceptance rate was significant (P = 0.000; P < 0.05). The effect of larval age, and the addition of royal jelly in queen cup cells prior to grafting, on the acceptance rate of queen cup cells was also studied. Young larvae, that is, from 12–24 up to 48 h of age, showed high acceptance rates. The acceptance rates of 12–24, 24–48 and 48–72 h old larvae were 76.7%, 55.7% and 20.0%, respectively. This shows that a queen produced from a 1 day old larva has the highest acceptance rate. The addition of royal jelly into queen cup cells before grafting showed the highest larval acceptance rate in March and April. In this study the acceptance rate for queen cup cells with wet and dry grafting were 89.5% and 46.1%, respectively. However further studies are recommended to determine the effect of all factors on the morphology of the queen.

What happens in ice age, does not stay in ice age: Phylogeography of Bombus terrestris revealed a low genetic diversity amongst the Eurasian populations

The objective of this research was to assess the genetic diversity and phylogeography of Bombus terrestris and examine the historical events that shaped its contemporary genetic structures using the COI mitochondrial marker. Specimens of the species were collected from its distribution range alongside the Alborz Mountain range, and GenBank sequences from the Eurasian distribution range were incorporated into the dataset. The COI sequences were employed in Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses to generate phylogenetic trees for the species populations and to investigate the evolutionary history of the species. Additionally, species occurrence points and climate data were utilized in Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) analyses to reconstruct the species range under past, present, and future climate conditions. The ML and BI trees yielded similar topologies, indicating extremely low genetic diversity and a homogeneous structure in the species population distribution range in Eurasia. Demographic analyses suggested that the species may have experienced a bottleneck during the last glacial maximum in Eurasia, followed by a recent expansion. The SDM analyses revealed significant fluctuations in the species range in the past and expansion under present conditions. Given the high dispersal ability of the species, the population expansion rate has surpassed the rate of developing new genetic diversity, and the estimated polymorphic sites for the species are likely relatively recent. This low level of genetic variation can also be attributed to the absence of geographical barriers and the excellent flying ability of the queen bee, leading to sustained gene flow throughout the entire continent. Despite the general correlation between larger populations and higher genetic diversity, bumblebees can expand their population size without increasing genetic diversity when residing in resourceful habitats.

Study on the Effect of Bee Strain and Insemination Method on the Hygienic Behavior of Bee Colonies Tested Using the Pricking Method

The process of artificial and natural insemination was carried out on the queen bees of the local and Carniolan strains in order to study their hygienic behavior and the Pricking method for the strains, as well as the cross-insemination results between them. The study results showed that the local honey bee strain T1 outperformed the other studied strains in its hygienic behavior, as the detection rate of the dead brood by Pricking was (44.16, 93.16, and 100) % respectively, after (1, 6, and 24) hours of conducting the study. The same strain also outperformed all other strains in removing the dead brood with a percentage ranging from (0.16, 22.66, and 100) % respectively, after (1, 6, and 24) hours of conducting the study. Moreover, the artificial insemination method generally outperformed the natural insemination method in the hygienic behavior of the bee colonies, as the detection rate of the brood in the artificially inseminated bee strains A2 was (40.91, 91.00, 97.33, and 100) % respectively, after (1, 6, 24, and 36) hours of conducting the study. A2 also outperformed the A1 insemination method in terms of the percentage of removing the dead brood by Pricking, with a percentage ranging from (0.00, 17.08, 96.91, and 100) % respectively, after (1, 6, 24, and 36) hours of conducting the study.

REPRODUCTIVE ABILITY OF BEE QUEENS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF BEES FEEDING MAGNESIUM CITRATES

The research was conducted on two groups of bees families-analogs, three families in each group. Bees of the control (I) group were fed with 60% of sugar syrup (s.s) in the amount of 2 l / family / week. Bees of the II (experimental) group with 2 l of s.s. received 4 mcg/ml of Mg in the form of citrate obtained by the nanotechnology method from LLC Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies, Kyiv. Indicators of bee queens egg laying intensity was determined by the method of counting the amount of number of sealed brood. Samples of bee body tissues and honey were investigated, in which the content of individual heavy metals (Fe, Сu, Zn) was determined on an atomic absorption spectrophotometer SF-115 PC, as well as the qualitative indicators of honey. According to the results of the researches during the entire research period bee queens of the control (1st), 2nd research groups oviposited 47783 and 49721 eggs, respectively. Probable inter group differences of egg laying were marked at feeding bee families pure sugar syrup and with adding to it citrates Mg. Amount of oviposited eggs in the 2nd research groups during the research period was higher accordingly by 1,4 % in comparison to the control group. Research results specify on expediency of application of citrates of Mg for stimulation of vital functions of bee colony and increasing the reproductive ability of queen bees during their intensive egg laying
 Researches have shown changes in the correlation of trace elements in body tissues of bees with an increase in the content of Fe, Cu and a decrease in the concentration Zn. Feeding of bees with Mg citrates caused an increase parameters of honey, as evidenced by the probable increase in diastasis number and proline content in honey of bees of the experimental groups. Organoleptic characteristics of honey when feeding bees with Mg citrates did not change significantly in the experimental groups compared with the control and met the current standards of DSTU 4497: 2005. It is concluded that feeding bees with the addition to sugar syrup Mg nanotechnological citrates stimulates the intensity of egg laying by queen bees, mineral exchange in their organism and optimizes the content of trace elements and quality indicators in products.

IN VITRO SPERMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN DRONES

Honey bees are an indispensable element of the ecosystem, as they provide an important part of plant pollination beyond food production. The queen bee, which forms the core of the bee colony, is at the center of bee production in the beekeeping sector. Undoubtedly, the production of high-quality queen bees primarily depends on suitable drones and therefore, quality sperm. In addition, artificial insemination of queen bees is a successful production method, as in other species, due to its superior characteristics compared to natural mating. In many apiaries and research centers, artificial insemination is used routinely for queen production. One of the advantages of this method is that the sperm can be preserved for the short or long term. In this respect, it is very effective in protecting genetic resources, preventing bee diseases and facilitating bee transportation. Today, spermatological studies and parameters used in drones are very few compared to other species. With the increasing importance given to the subject in recent years, many spermatological parameters have started to be used in honey bees. However, the morphological and physiological differences of drone semen require the development and standardization of these parameters with further studies. In this review, the spermatological parameters used in drone semen, together with the working principles and materials used, were examined in general terms and presented to the readers.

Can female executives improve employment relations outcomes? Empirical evidence from China with gender implications

PurposeDespite the growing research interest in gender diversity, the presence of female executives and organizational outcomes, the relationship between female executives and employment relations outcomes remains under-researched. This study aims to examine the potential relationship between female executives and employment relations outcomes, with the gender gap as a focus.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from 2,682 workers from 119 manufacturing firms in Guangdong Province, southern China.FindingsResults show that firms with female executives are more likely to comply with labor laws and promote staff development. The association between female executives and promotion opportunities is stronger for female employees than for male employees. However, there is no significant association between female executives and employee salaries.Originality/valueThis research contributes to employment relations literature and extends the application of social role theory to studies of employment relations in particular societal contexts. This study also provides possible boundary conditions for the existence of queen bee behavior by using data from Chinese factories.