> Maybe it is this reason that > bees become 'fitter and fatter' rather than any perceived notion of > approaching winter? We know that nutrition determins whether an egg becomes a worker or a queen. What do we know beyond that? Is the bee milk from an older worker the same as the bee milk from young workers? How much does it vary with the colony nutrition level or quality? We know that colonies fed only some types of supplement cannot continue to raise brood after a while, in spite of having ample supplies. Seems to me also that I read, probably here somewhere, that a study showed that the transition from summer to winter bees normally took place at a certain time of the summer, but was found to ocur later if a new queen was introduced close to that time. Was this due to the new queen laying more eggs to be fed, the gap in brood rearing, the nature of the new queen? Dunno. Happy Turkey Day to our southern neighbours. allen http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/ Extractor friction drives, Friction drives beekeeper, AFB test Kit, and More... :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::