How far do queens fly to mate?
As with many questions with bees, it’s such a variable thing to start with; it’s hard to say. According to Jay Smith, who tried an island for his mating yard, and he says the queens flew at least as far as two miles. Some estimates I’ve seen are as much as four or five miles. But I’ve also heard beekeepers who say they’ve seen matings (as evidenced by drone comets and the queen returning to the mating nuc) that occurred right in the beeyard.
