Bob Harrison writes: This is the BIG unknown factor in the discussion! Can the nurse bees control the size of the bee to match cell size? Reply: IMPOV from following our bees now since the early 1980s thru two regressions down, and paralleling it to information read in archives (the path sizing up then in reverse is the path to follow back down), I would have to say YES the nurse bees control the size of the bee to match the cell size(like royal jelly can vary by bee size, not talking caste here), determined by the size of the thorax, but only to a certain extent with a range of say .1mm to .3mm for each step up or each step down in sizing.Here looking at work of Rothenbueler (sp not sure of here while typing)and Egypt (project done together if I am remembering correctly concerned royal jelly and size of cells), and Roy Grout's unpublished Cell Size Thesis would be good to read I would think, putting the information in the two together. Respectfully submitted, Dee A. Lusby Small Cell Commercial Beekeeper Moyza, Arizona http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrganicBeekeepers/ __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---