my friend said she learned this in a fourth year zoology lecture
2006-09-22 07:21:07 · 17 answers · asked by sarahsoutar 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
This is both true and not true.
There can be little doubt that a huge amount of pressure is exerted by the drone bees muscles, as it causes him to flip entirely off the queen bee. One of the major authors in the field described it figuratively as exploding sperm into the queen. And there is no doubt that the drones genitals break off and he dies within hours due to massive trauma. So it's not like there's a huge or visible explosion or anything.
The genitals are not even jammed in the queen... other males just pull the thing out, mate, and die themselves. A queen will typically mate with (and kill) between 7-10 drones, and sometimes up 17 or more. The queen has internal sacs that can store a volume of semen that would take eight drones to fill, so presumably anything after that is just for fun (for the queen).
Now, although there is no evidence in the literature of the 'explosion' of climax being much more violent than a breaking off of the genitals, I have heard accounts from beekeepers who have said that they can -hear- drones 'pop' when they mate. Though I haven't pursued this myself so I couldn't tell you if this is really so.
The second link below shows drawings from Winston's famous book, including those of mating, so you may want to check it out.
2006-09-22 08:21:52 · answer #1 · answered by Doctor Why 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
During ejaculation, the male falls back and his endophallus is ripped out of his body and remains attached to the queen. The emasculated drones die very quickly with their abdomens burst in this fashion. Therefore the male bee just drops dead, they do not explode. Only the abdomen does.
2006-09-22 07:35:28 · answer #2 · answered by cruel 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Reading all the answers I've just learned more about bees then ever before....good question!
2006-09-22 08:59:56 · answer #3 · answered by sweet ivy lyn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do not explode..
They do often tear their genitals off and die...
I am glad I am not a bee....
2006-09-22 18:26:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
true ..and the queen can mate several times before she returns to the hive, often with the male genitalia dangling.
2006-09-22 07:24:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
i can get this as i have slept with many women who are similar to queen bees and i have felt like i have left my privates behind when they have been to ruff with me.
2006-09-24 09:26:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Siht! Does that mean I'm a bee?
2006-09-22 07:22:47 · answer #7 · answered by Warlock Fiend 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
HHHHHHHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Can't breath OMG that is the funniest thing i have heard for a while.
2006-09-22 07:23:32 · answer #8 · answered by pinktart2003 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should see when they "gang stang" a female bee. They shoot honey everywhere.
2006-09-22 07:30:08 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Probably, and when they sting they leave the sting in you and die, or is that a wasp?
2006-09-22 07:23:59 · answer #10 · answered by The Way 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋