> cells with some kind
>of horn like device or their head, as opposed to the nibbling >or
eating away of the wax
>by the other colony members.
>I had not heard of this before, is it true? Are there any >clarifying
pictures around
>that show this?

>from Ron PE2RVM/SM6WHN  Snartorp - Sweden

 I also observed a similar action by a queen in an observation hive. She
was ripping open cells and the workers would clean them out.
  This result was observed in an abnormal situation.
The situation was as follows:
 1. Observation hive consisting of two deep frames and one shallow. With
enough bees to cover both sides of the shallow frame ONLY.
 2. The shallow frame had emerging brood when introduced into the hive.
 3. The hive was given a queen 3 days later and all emergency queen
cells were removed.
 4. The queen commenced to laying eggs.
 5. The hive was raising brood normally and capping brood.
Then..
 1. I chilled the hive to 40 degrees F. for not more than 24 hours.
 2. I brought the hive inside to a 70 degree F. temperature.
 3. This resulted in dead capped brood.

 After approximately a week the queen started to rip open the capped
cells. The workers circled her at times but not always.
When she had the cells ripped open the workers finished cleaning out the
chilled brood.
  I know this activity is not an action normally attributed to the
queen.
Perhaps I am not alone in observing this behavior?
 I have to look through my photo collection. I may have a photo of her
doing this.

Tom Martin
Shippensburg, Pa



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