Do queens lay in queen cells?

[Hivemaker.]

It is reasonably simple in a home apiary to confirm that worker bees move eggs into queen cells,

Have you seen them moving eggs into queen cells?

Post six of this thread on beesource is interesting http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?264197-Do-Queens-lay-in-Queen-Cups

 

[Beeble]

Have you seen them moving eggs into queen cells?

Post six of this thread on beesource is interesting http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?264197-Do-Queens-lay-in-Queen-Cups

Thanks for the link!

I've not watched them with an egg in their mouths...

but..

I've had the queen separated from her eggs and had fertilised eggs (they grew into viable queens) in queen cups (not drawn out worker cells) that were empty before seperating the queen...


Though I cannot say that it's absolute fact that workers moved the eggs in there from other cells, it seems ulikely they were diploid eggs laid by workers.

 

[Beeble]

This is an experiment I intend to perform again this year and slightly more vigarously.

It would be useful to get a couple more people doing it, gives less margin for error!

 

[Poly Hive]

Possibly a bit pedantic but for the sake of accuracy the queen lays into an incipient queen cell aka a queen cup, not a queen cell.

PH

 

[boca]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z67TnF8NuD8[/ame]

 

[RodrigoAliod]

Beautiful video, boca. Is it from your bees?