>In other words, the supersedure cue isn’t being triggered because the
> treatment odours are too powerful.

To directly address this point, rather than dismiss it, there is a significant amount of direct contact that will spread queen pheromone - Trophallaxis, "antennation" (touching each other with antennae), and grooming will all spread the queen pheromone reliably, even if the hive is subjected to overwhelming odors (Formic Acid, I'm looking at you).

It is also very possible to detect more than one odor at the same time, just as one can hear more than one note at a time, and even hear and identify different instruments all playing the same note.  Different tastes can be simultaneously tasted, some blend well, others don't.  As a real-world human example, my wife wears one perfume only in indoor settings, as "It clashes with the smell of the beach" in her words.

    

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html