Dave:  To be specific in your question, it is possible to inseminate
queens artificially.  In that case, of course, there is no flight
involved.  However, in nature, the queen flies high, and mates in
mid air, usually with multiple partners, we understand.  After this
mating she returns to the hive.  She never leaves it again, unless in
the case of swarming.
 
        Eunice Wonnacott
 
        "From the Cradle of Confederation"
On Sat, 30 Apr 1994, Dave D. Cawley, a De Leon Socialist wrote:
 
>         Do queens *have* to be able to fly to be mated? Can't the drones
> fertilize her if she can't fly? Is mating done in midair or on some firmer
> substance? Just wondering...
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Dave D. Cawley            |     Adolph! Adi! More coal in the furnace,
> University Of Scranton    |     Dick's on his way down!
> Scranton, Pennsylvania    |
> [log in to unmask]      |             -Overheard in Hell
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>