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How do queen honeybees control whether their eggs are fertilized?

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bees on a honeycomb — Beekeeping Bees on a honeycomb.

Queen honeybees control whether their eggs are fertilized through a process involving the spermatheca, a specialized storage organ that holds sperm collected during mating flights.12

As an egg travels down the oviduct, the queen determines its fertilization status by manipulating a muscular ring surrounding the sperm duct. By relaxing this ring, she allows sperm to pass from the spermatheca to fertilize the egg, which will then develop into a female (diploid) bee. If she keeps the ring closed, the egg remains unfertilized and will develop into a male (haploid) drone through a process known as parthenogenesis.23

This ability to facultatively determine the sex of her offspring allows the queen to manage the composition of the colony based on its needs.2