Bill Said, Darwin is not at work here. In fact Darwin is at work. This is an emergency situation imposed on the colony. The response is to have a queen as soon as possible for survivorship. The opposite to this situation is raising superseding queens. Supersedure queens are raised from larvae as young as it can be. Although these queens are raised under their mothers' nose, the quality is superior. This is where you can say Darwin is at work. Medhat Medhat Nasr, Ph. D. Provincial Apiculturist Crop Diversification Centre North 17507 Fort Road Edmonton, AB, Canada T5Y 6H3 Tel: (780) 415-2314 Fax: (780) 422-6096 Mailto:[log in to unmask] :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::