Hi all
The problem with most of the theories as to why queens are superseded prematurely is that they are based upon the bees evaluating the queens in some way, but they do not show _how_ they evaluate them. The most common theory has to be with fertility, which would be communicated by queen substances. The problem is, queen substance and fertility are not necessarily linked.
> What is the nature of the queen fertility signal? Despite years of research in this area, we are still lacking a complete understanding of the nature of the social signal underlying queen reproductive dominance.
Amsalem, E., Grozinger, C. M., Padilla, M., & Hefetz, A. (2015). Bumble Bee Sociobiology: The Physiological and Genomic Bases of Bumble Bee Social Behaviour. Advances in Insect Physiology.
also see:
Uncoupling fertility from fertility-associated pheromones in worker honeybees (Apis mellifera)
Osnat Malka *, Tamar Katzav-Gozansky, Abraham Hefetz
However, there is a simpler explanation:
> In the years 1998 - 2001 the effect of injury to honeybee queens on their egg laying rate was tested in Puławy. The observation comprised 225 queens that were naturally or instrumentally inseminated in colonies established in Dadant hives.
> The majority of queens (122 individuals, 55%) showed injuries to some of their body parts. Although the injuries to the queens did not affect significantly their egg-laying rate, they had an impact on the rate of supersedure.
Gerula, D., & Bieńkowska, M. (2002). Effect of injury to honeybee queens on egg laying rate and colony strength. Journal of Apicultural Science, 46(1), 75-83.
Following Occam's Razor, the simpler explanation would be: queen handling, and especially banking queens, causes physical damage to queens. It's quite possible that an assembly line approach to queen rearing affects quality and lifespan. Anyone who has seen "More Than Honey" knows how brutish some beekeepers have become.
PLB
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