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