From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Subject: Re: Queens relation to cell size
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2000 23:26:08 -0800

Hi Barry and all on the Biological Beekeeping List:

Please see my annotations below to Barry's reply...

Barry wrote:

> Dee, you infer that it's not a problem for a queen between worker
> and drone cell size which makes sense to me as I figured a queen
> can always lay in a larger cell size. But again, I'm more concerned
> about a large queen currently on 5.6 mm cells for worker and putting
> her on 4.9 size worker cells. Do I understand that she will still be
> quite capable to lay in these cells? Does not the queen need to be
> retrogressed in size along with the worker bees?

Reply:

No, Barry. The queen and the drones will automatically follow the worker bees in retrogressing and downsizing.

Barry wrote:

> So the abdomen of a queen must always be smaller in diameter
> than 4.8-4.9mm, regardless of race or age for this to be true, right?
> Anyone wishing to regress there existing bees to 4.9 cell size will
> have no problem doing so with whatever breed of queen they have?

Reply:

Barry, the most flexible thing the queen has is her abdomen. It's not hard
and ridged, it's made for going into and out of cells big or small, expanding
and contracting to fit the need of the hole cavity. Haven't you ever pulled
on the abdomen of a worker and seen the elasticity of an abdomen, small when empty, fat when full and long and slender, etc. The queen is the same way. Even in very tight small cells she can corkscrew herself in in circular
movements, though at a slower speed, then if she were laying in a looser
fitting oversized cell, but still not that much slower you will find if observing closely.

regard,

Dee A. Lusby
Tucson, Arizona