Hi Allen,

Bees will cannibalize eggs and larvae during protein deficits.

First to go are eggs, then young larvae and drone larvae/pupae.  They will
save older worker larvae.

Brood protein is recycled into jelly, and they are able to rear brood
entirely on jelly produced from recycled brood (carnivorous diet!).  Don't
have figure of efficacy of feed conversion.

And yes, a vigorous queen, given adequate jelly, will continue to lay eggs,
only to have them eaten by the nurses if there is not enough protein
available.

Best ref is likely Schmickel and Crailsheim (on my site, Fat Bees
articles).
Also,

Moritz, RFA (1994) Nourishment and sociality in honeybees.  Pp 345-390 in
Hunt, JH and CA Nalepa, eds. *Nourishment and Evolution in Insect Societies.
*  Westview Press, Boulder, CO.

Randy Oliver

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