I have read that they will sometimes build a queen cell with an un-fertile egg, but i've never seen it.
Yes.
http://www.bushfarms.com/huber.htm#maleeggsinroyalcells
Ihttp://www.bushfarms.com/huber.htm#onlymaleeggs
And sometimes they are even viable, but I would certainly not plan on it:
http://www.beesource.com/point-of-v...n-a-strain-of-us-honey-bees-apis-mellifera-l/[/QUOTE ] if they got 18 colonies to rear queens from laying worker eggs, why hasn't anyone spent more time on this and try to breed for this trait ?
>why hasn't anyone spent more time on this and try to breed for this trait ?
I suppose if we all left laying worker hives to their demise we would breed for it, but its too long of a shot... Dee Lusby's bees seem to do it the a significant amount of the time. But everyone assumes they are Africanized and don't want to breed from them. I know they are not as nice as what I want... so I'll have to just get by with bees I have to requeen when they go laying worker...
My guess is that when it does happen we usually miss it as it takes a lot of attention to be sure that is what occurred.
Queen cells and eggs and brood are a sure path to success.I've had much more luck introducing queen cells to laying worker hives than introducing laying queens. It often works out well.