According to "The Hive and the Honey Bee" ..."9-ODA plays a major role in
attracting workers to a queen and forming a retinue...maximal activity is
realized when four other mandibular glands compounds are present..."

Attendants in queen cages can be straight-run workers which is the easiest to
do, young bees, or from the queen's original retinue.  The research suggests
that pheromones regulate retinue behavior.  Presumably the established
retinue bees are providing a value to the queen and would continue to do so
if shipped in the queen cage.  The efficacy of which traveler to use in queen
cages hasn't been established.

I have found that by opening the candy end slightly with a nail, and keeping
the hole end up results in excellent acceptance of purchased caged queens.
This is always done with at least a 24 hour wait following queenlessness.
When the cage is examined after the queen has been released I have found half
of the time the workers shipped in the cage to have been released presummably
unharmed.  Half of the time they have been found dead in the cages.  This
indicates that something further is going on that is not understood.

Contact me at:
       Rick Green
       8 Hickory Grove Lane
       Ballston Lake, NY 12019
       (518) 384-2539
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