I realise that we have discussed emergency queens here from time to time,
and the consensus is that emergency queens can be inferior to other
queens.

The belief is that, when faced with a sudden queen loss, the bees may
choose larvae that are older than the optimal age for making queens.
These queens then will have a head start on any younger queens that may be
started and thus emerge first.  The result is a partially intercaste quuen
that lacks capacity and longevity and perhaps some of the requisite
pheremones.

Having said that, I do know that Charles Mraz had a system that was
entirely dependant on emergency queen rearing  and that I also used one
for several years commercially without any apparent ill effects.

So what I am wondering is this:  what is the evidence?  What proof is
there that, indeed, the bees do an inferior job when faced with an
emergency situation?  It really does not stand to reason in that the bees
have relied on this mechanism -- along with the two others -- for queen
replacement for eons.

Does anyone have any references or personal experience that confirms that
the results of emergency queen rearing are indeed inferior?

allen