Hi Allen
> Logic is fine, but until someone actually makes a scientific,
> quantitative comparison between grafted queens and emergency
> queens raised under comparable conditions of season, nutrition,
> etc., I have to point out that this is merely an unproven
> hypothesis, and one based on a fairly long chain of potentially
> shaky reasoning, and not proven fact.
I have no problem at all with your statement above, my reasoning may be
shaky, but it is all I have in the absence of definitive data.
> the least reliable assumption of the set being the assumption
> that emergence timing is correlated with the age of the larva
> at the start in more than a loose fashion.
I can't give you data, but from my experience over a good many years, the
fit of emergence compared to original larva age is quite good. I do not
think this part is the shaky bit, I reckon the shakiest assumption is that
the bees raise queens under emergency, swarming and supersedure conditions
in the same way and same timescale, but I am only considering deliberately
raised grafted larva, which is where my experience lies.
> the assumption is made that the bees have no way of rushing
> development of some queens.
This would show up as lack of supersedure in 'early' emerged queens.
You have observed a wider variability in emergence time than I have...
> This variability may be attributed to many factors, such as
> variability in genetics in the same batch of eggs, position
> on the bar, nutrition,
My conditions are different for two reasons, the physical length of the bar
is shorter in UK equipment, but apart from that I deliberately choose not to
use the ends of even this shorter bar. Nutrition has played a big part in my
queen and drone raising, much extra pollen (over provision) is provided as
well as honey diluted 50/50 with water.
It would be nice to know the answers, not in order to be proved 'right' or
'wrong', but just to know more definitely.
Regards & Best 73s, Dave Cushman, G8MZY
http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman or http://www.dave-cushman.net
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