Friends,
As far as we know from the bumble bee managment CO2 narcosis does affect
the physiology of bumble bee queens. As many honey bee queen producers
know the same goes for honey bee queens. Both, the unfertilized ones
and fertilized instrumentally start eggs laying after the treatment.
I have read somewhere, but don't have the source, now, that honey bee
workers "got older" after they were treated with CO2. Their
physiological development was accelerated. Based on my experience with
bee keeping I am convinced that CO2 has an important role in developing
the population of so called winter bees  (I have done no research in this
field). Nevertheless, in insects any kind of narcosis is the CO2 narcoses
in certain degree, too, since the organism stops its respiration
movements and the CO2 can not be removed from tissues by the tracheal
system.
 
Happy days with bees,
Vladimir Ptacek
----------------------------------------------------------------
Fac. Sci., Dept. Anim. Physiol.       E.mail: [log in to unmask]
Masaryk University                    phone:  .42/5/41129 562
611 37 Brno, Czech Republic           fax:    .42/5/41211 214