Hi All and Jan As regards your question as to whether it is only house bees that become laying workers I think I can answer that. The laying worker trait exists for two reasons - one it allows a colony that has lost it's queen to spread it's genes, and two it allows the bees to 'accidentally' join other colonies and sneak a few drone eggs through. Recent research has I believe shown that a large percentage of the drones hatching in a hive are not actually the offspring of the queen, but rather offspring of errant workers who lay a few eggs on the side. In the cape honey bee, a common survival strategy is believed to be that the workers will drift from one hive to another and lay a few eggs. This is fine in capensis country, but in any other races territory it leads to laying worker colonies due to the cape bees taking over. So yes, for most bees a worker that is foraging can most probably become a laying worker, or alternatively a new forager that gets lost coming back may stand a higher chance. I can also say that when I have lost the queen in a swarm a few times it has become laying worker. All these bees could fly. Keep well Garth Garth Cambray Camdini Apiaries Grahamstown Apis mellifera capensis Eastern Cape Prov. South Africa Time = Honey After careful consideration, I have decided that if I am ever a V.I.P the I. may not stand for important. (rather influential, ignorant, idiotic, intelectual, illadvised etc)