>In answer to this question, nobody ever proved that they couldn't and there is no real reason why they wouldn't, unless those particular bees had never flown before. They certainly aren't too heavy or some such thing. 

I suspect that by the time that laying workers develop there are unlikely to be any bees that have not flown.

If you shake out a laying worker colony, say on the lawn 20 yards from its site, there will be no bees there 10 minutes later.  Presumably they have all flown back home.

Best wishes

Peter 
52°14'44.44"N, 1°50'35"W

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