9-oxodecenoic acid

chemical compound

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July 1, 2026

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9-oxodecenoic acid is a chemical compound that functions as a pheromone in honeybees. It is secreted by the queen bee and stimulates the olfactory receptors of male drones. This pheromone plays a role in regulating the social organization within a beehive by inhibiting the development of ovaries in worker bees, though it requires another pheromone, 9-hydroxydecenoic acid, to be fully effective. The precise mechanism by which these inhibitory substances affect the bees is not yet fully understood but is presumed to involve the nervous system.1

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hormone
Pheromones
of the honeybee (Apis mellifera), 9-oxodecenoic acid, stimulates the olfactory receptors of the drones (males). Secreted by the queen bee in the hive, the pheromone inhibits the development of the ovaries of the worker bees (sterile females) but is entirely effective only when it acts in conjunction with another inhibitory…
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of the honeybee (Apis mellifera), 9-oxodecenoic acid, stimulates the olfactory receptors of the drones (males). Secreted by the queen bee in the hive, the pheromone inhibits the development of the ovaries of the worker bees (sterile females) but is entirely effective only when it acts in conjunction with another inhibitory…
Read More