Allen Dick wrote:

> So what I am wondering is this:  what is the evidence?  What proof is
> there that, indeed, the bees do an inferior job when faced with an
> emergency situation?  It really does not stand to reason in that the bees
> have relied on this mechanism -- along with the two others -- for queen
> replacement for eons.
>
> Does anyone have any references or personal experience that confirms that
> the results of emergency queen rearing are indeed inferior?

I have often requeened using an "emergency" queen method, but going back
four days after pulling the old queen, you will find fully capped queen
cells.  This suggests that you have older larvae being put into
service.  I have not ever allowed one of these prematurely capped cells
to mature so I do not have any evidence in that respect.

I would add that it does stand to reason that any queen, even a poor one
will serve in an emergency.  All it would take would be one good egg to
produce a new supercedure cell and queen.

Tom

--
"Test everything.  Hold on to the good."  (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

Tom Elliott
Chugiak,  Alaska
U.S.A.
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