Hi to all on BEE-L
Peter Borst wrote:
>Gloria Degrandi-Hofman has reported observing just that,
unless I am mistaken, and did not Erickson do some work
with Dee on this some time back?

Reply:
Actually both Gloria Degrandi-Hoffman and Dr Eric H.
Erickson Jr did work with me and Ed. Please see:

http://www.beesource.com/pov/lusby/bsmay1991.htm

Peter then wrote:
It would still be extremely rare and can not be invoked as
the mechanism in any sort of unintentional selection for
larger bees over the past 100 years. Not even among the
Cape Bees does this manner of reproduction occur except
under the unusual circumstance of a hive losing its queen
and then losing the emergency queen.

Reply:
Quite true. It is only a backup system. Unfortunately, it
is also a backup system that beekeepers have not been
properly told how to address in field management.


Peter also wrote:
Mackensen's work, which hasn't been replicated (that I know
of),showed what would happen if a hive was forced to raise
a queen from unfertilized queen eggs, a circumstance which
almost never occurs. Of these, only a small percentage
succeeded. (Hepburn, 1998)

Reply:
The key to failure being forced to raise, which at improper
timing during the active season would not work.

Regards,

Dee A. Lusby



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