Observations of ethanol exposure on the queen honey bee Apis mellifera anatoliaca (Preliminary note)

Previous data from this laboratory has shown that consumption of ethanol by worker honey bees disrupts learning, communication and social behaviours. We extend our honey bee model of ethanol induced behaviour by reporting preliminary observations on a queen honey bee (Apis mellifera anatoliaca Maa) which had consumed 20 kl of a 10%, 2.0 M ethanol solution. Our observations reveal that the inebriated queen is accepted back into the colony but is replaced several days later by a new queen possibly as a result of decreased egg laying behaviour. The new queen - which was an offspring of the previous queen - had less hair on the thorax and an unnatural darker colour. Egg laying was also reduced as suggested by the smaller brood area compared to a control queen. Recommendations are provided when to conduct ethanol experiments with queens.