> This would indicate to me they are in some dietary egg laying restriction mode.

I would like to point out that there is no way of determining whether the workers stop feeding the queen or if she stops taking food. Further, the question of whether the queen or the workers determine the number of eggs, has not been determined. The workers will prepare brood comb for the queen, but it *appears* that she decides whether to lay eggs in it or not. As Randy mentioned, the workers may eat surplus eggs but they don't always do this (as in when we see multiple eggs in combs).

PLB

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html