In message <[log in to unmask]>, Peter Borst
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>If workers moved eggs with any regularity then they would certainly
>find it easy enough to go to a hive a few feet away and get eggs.
Sorry I have not seen the earlier correspondence but I have seen a
completely new queen cell made in a split hived above its parent colony
on a clean division board where there was *no* cell (not even an empty
cup) after the split was made. I have seen other queen cells develop
where there were none and when the queen was not present and where the
main queen cells being produced were emergency cells. I can only presume
that workers do remove eggs into queen cups when they want to, instead
of leaving them in ordinary worker cells to make emergency cells. I have
a hunch (as I have not recorded the detailed dates) that workers may
bring a cooled egg into play. Colleagues have reported queen cells being
produced after all eggs should have hatched, i.e., more than 3 days
after a swarm left or a split was made. I will look out carefully for
evidence and report it.
--
James Kilty