Recent research led by UC Riverside’s Boris Baer revealed that male honeybees inject toxins into queens during mating, causing temporary blindness to maximize their chances of fathering offspring. This occurs during a fleeting period in the bees’ lives, as males die shortly after mating, while queens can live for years without mating again. The toxins are proteins found in the male bees’ seminal fluid, which not only preserve sperm but also impair queens’ vision, discouraging them from mating with other males. Baer’s team identified at least 300 proteins in honeybee seminal fluid, uncovering those that attack sperm from rival males and others that affect genes responsible for vision in queens.
Experiments indicated that inseminated queens struggled to navigate back to their colonies after being blinded, as shown through innovative tracking methods using tiny tags. This research provides insights into honeybee mating behavior and could potentially lead to improved breeding programs to help counteract the significant decline in bee populations, which are essential for pollinating many food crops. Baer emphasizes the importance of maintaining healthy bee populations for human food security.
