> The author suggests that sperm release is the 'normal'
> status and that drone cells block the release. He speculates
> that queen cells do not contain this inhibiting stimulus
> of drone cells and therefore eggs laid in queen cells
> get fertilised.

I have found that the bees make the entrance to a queen cell the same diameter
as worker cells, so I think the same mechanism determine the fertilization of
the queen cells. Bees make some cell cups early in the season, with larger size
entrance. Closer to swarming time they start reducing the entrance, you can
actually judge how close to swarming they are from the look of those cell cups
often found on the bottom bars of the frames.

But I also believe there are some "chemical" stimuli involved to get the queen
to lay in them at the "right" time.

--
Regards

P-O Gustafsson, Sweden
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