> If a bee moves an egg to a new cell, does it necessarily have to be attached?  Could it not lay on the bottom of the cell?

This is correct. 

Studies were made to determine the incidence of hatching of
honey bee, Apis mellifera L., eggs incubated in various positions.
Petri dishes with basal layers of wax, paraffin, or drone foundation
were used as supporting surfaces for eggs. The lowest successful
hatching incidence was 58% for eggs kept in the inverted
position; the highest incidence was 67% in an ordinary prone
position. The averagc hatching incidence of 62% shows that
hatching is not influenced strongly by the position of the egg.

The results obtained in this experiment are not in
agreement with DuPraw (1960), who considers the upright
position (posterior end of eggattached to cellbase) as
essential for hatching, because he had "never known such
an egg to hatch from its prone position." He suspected
that "a perfect prone position very likely interferes with
the normal weaving motion and rupturing of the chorion
necessary for hatching."


Dietz, A. (1964). The effects of position on hatching of honey bee eggs in the laboratory. Journal of Economic Entomology, 57(3), 392-395.

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