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Summary
Queen honeybees (Apis mellifera) were reared under optimal conditions between 1982 and 1985. Mean weight of queens at emergence was 213 ± 2·02 mg. At initiation of oviposition (designated 0 years) and after 1, 2 and 3 years in honey-producing colonies, mean numbers of spermatozoa in spermathecae were 9·77 ± 0·79, 7·63 ± 0·85, 5·57 ± 07middot;64 and 2·8 ± 07middot;62 million, respectively; numbers declined logarithmically with age of the queen. Annual requeening of colonies may be unnecessary, if efforts are made to produce queens of the highest quality.