Queen substance

Queen substance is a pheromone secreted by the mandibular glands of the queens of social insect colonies. The queen substance maintains colony structure as it is given to the worker bees and prevents them from producing/rearing new queens.

Queen substance is also used by unmated queens to attract males when on their nuptial flight.

Related terms

• Apiary
• Bee bread
• Cerumen
• Drone
• Gyne
• Nuptial flight
• Pheromone
• Queen
• Queen cell
• Queen excluder

Related pages on this web site

• Aculeate hymenoptera
• Bees
• Bees and Beekeeping: From simple bee-ginnings
• Bees, Wasps and Ants - Order Hymenoptera

See other words beginning with Q