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 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >