Hi Allen & all

> We are just guessing and presenting the guess as fact,

Early last week before this subject discussed at Bee_L, I wrote a note
about walk away splits and queens quality to be published in Alberta
Newsletter "July issue". It was based on a recently published research
paper  "Apidologie, 2004, 35:275-282". The researchers found that
dequeened colonies raised more queen cells from 3 day old larvae in
comparison to 2 and 4 day old larvae. the number of produced queen cells
averaged 33 cells/hive with only 27 cells capped. The average number of
emerged cells was only 13 queens/hive. Through this process, researchers
found that high proportions of queen cells raised from younger larvae were
destroyed. The greatest number of emerged queens were raised from 3 day
old larvae. These results suggest that emergency queens are not the best
quality based on the worker selection of older larvae to raise those
queens under emergency situation.

As known through previous research cited by Weatherhead, the number of
ovarioles is correlated to larval age. Younger grafted larvae produce
queens with high number of ovarioles. The number of ovarioles in the ovary
is dependant on:
1) bee race
2) age of grafted larvae
3) amount and quality of royal jell fed to larvae used to raise queens

Having said that, I would suggest that the introduction of new queens
reared from younger larvae will be much better for the bee colony and will
ensure high quality queens in the new splits.

medhat

Medhat Nasr, Ph. D.
Provincial Apiculturist
Crop Diversification Centre North

17507 Fort Road
Edmonton, AB, Canada T5Y 6H3
Tel: (780) 415-2314    Fax: (780) 422-6096
Mailto:[log in to unmask]

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