>
> >Also, I wonder what role -- if any -- there is for oophagy (egg eating)
> in all of this.


Yes, and I wonder how the colony regulates the egg production of the
queen.  In springtime dearths in my area, the queen continues to lay eggs
vigorously, but the workers follow her and eat them.  But at other times of
the season, it appears that the nurses somehow (likely be restricting
jelly) stop the queen from laying eggs altogether.  Have you seen any
studies that looked into this?

 >Why wouldn't the change in day length be the initial trigger?

Geoff, I've looked into this in great detail, and have found little or no
supporting evidence for that being the trigger, but plently of evidence to
the contrary.  E.g., when I visited Trevor Weatherhead midwinter some years
ago, there was a flow on from one of the eucalypts, yet despite the very
short day length and cool weather, the colonies were brooding up and
producing white wax.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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