Grafting query

[Dark Bee]

Does the queen really slim down before swarming ?

How many days do you think there is on average between the queen emerging and her first mating flight
Some sources claim hardly ever before 7 days

How many days do drones need to mature ready for mating ?

I suppose to fly a queen needs to be slim. Whenever I see a queen is still quite "rotund" and the family is busy building comb, I feel there are no immediate plans to depart on holidays.
Environmental factors probably are decisive in when first mating flight occurs.
Mature drones are quite firm and hard and if you squeeze one end the other end pops out! Useful if one is into this II business. If I ever knew the number of days this takes, I have long forgotten it.

[Jon]

Does the queen really slim down before swarming ?

How many days do you think there is on average between the queen emerging and her first mating flight
Some sources claim hardly ever before 7 days

How many days do drones need to mature ready for mating ?

DR
The bees reduce the feeding the queen and she will be noticeably slimmer before swarming.
She reduces the egg laying rate before swarming as well. Some think she stops laying but she still manages to lay a few.
Queen orientation flights start at 4-5 days from emergence. these can take place at lower temperatures.
mating flights can take place from 6-7 days from emergence and take place between about 12.30 and 5.30, never in the morning.
Drones take 2 weeks from emergence to become sexually mature.

[The Drone Ranger]

Thanks for the info chaps
Drones need about 6 weeks from when queen lays them -- quite a while
I'm going to pay more attention in future
I noticed the natural comb the bees made on the frames where only a starter and fishing line was given was mostly drone
Next season that will be handy comb to have