> A lack of e-beta-ocimene would signal to the emerging worker that the colony was in survival mode, and not in need of nurses. Not only that, but as Crailsheim writes: Colonies without pollen supply maintain brood rearing only for a short time, first by using up the stored bee bread and later by depleting their body reserves (Haydak, 1935). Honey bees have developed a mechanism to react to changes in the ratio of pollen supply and protein demand of brood: they cannibalize brood and thereby gain protein which they use to feed other larvae. Young larvae, in which little investment has been made up to that point, are cannibalized, and older larvae are maintained. If the pollen dearth continues, no more brood can be produced. Colonies terminate brood rearing rather than produce malnourished pupae, and according to Imdorf et al. (1998) this maintains the quality of pupae that are produced. Apidologie 41 (2010) 278–294 *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html