> I have another question on this topic: is the number of ovarioles what > determines the ultimate size of the queen or the age of the larva that > results in the bigger queen? Not sure about size but try the following by Prof Jerzy Woyke:- Correlations between the age at which honeybee brood was grafted, characteristics of the resultant queens, and results of insemination. J. apic. Res. 10(1): 45-55 Trevor Weatherhead AUSTRALIA :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::