The great majority of female A. mellifera in a hive are sterile
workers. Only queens mate and lay eggs. Normally there is only a
single reproductive queen in a hive. During periods of suitably
mild weather in spring and summer, males leave the hive and
gather at "drone assembly areas" near the hive. Virgin queens
will fly through these areas, attracting the males with
pheromones. The males pursue, and attempt to mate with the queen
in flight. Sometimes a "comet" forms, as a cluster of males
forms around the female, with a string of other males trying to
catch up. Each male who succeeds in mating drops away, and dies
within a few hours or days. Males who do not mate will continue
to loiter in the assembly areas until they mate or die trying.
Queens will mate with up to 10 males in a single flight. Queens
may mate with males from their own hive, or from other hives in
the area. The queen's mating behavior is centered around finding
the best place to mate beforehand, by taking directional flights
for a period of