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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Peter Loring Borst <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 26 Feb 2018 22:02:19 -0500
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> What would happen if a unfertilized drone larva is fed a continuous supply of Royal jelly?

Of course, the sex of bees has nothing to do with diet. Both drones and workers are fed similar food, while queens receive special treatment.  My sources state:

* for the first three days after hatching, all larvae are fed with royal jelly, a product of hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of nurse bees. A change in diet of workers and drone larvae then occurs; they receive a mixture of royal jelly, honey, and pollen up to the moment when the cell is sealed, but queens continue to be fed royal jelly

* Many drone larvae fed only with royal jelly developed badly, and only those reaching a weight of more than 310 mg. pupated successfully. Nevertheless some adult drones of normal size were reared on royal jelly alone.

* Various modifications of techniques for rearing diploid drone brood were tested ... larvae were reared in queen cells of equivalent age in the colony for two days before transferring them to drone cells as before; this method was successful.

Woyke, et al

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