Royal Jelly Clarification

[beeno]

Hi All,
I have also now seen cells with Royal Jelly and nothing else as ultreen1. I take the word of everyone that says the just hatched larvae are too small to see (saving up to go to Specsavers). Have a bit of a problem with the queen larvae being fed though. All larvae float in the initial pool of Royal Jelly? I take it that they all eat from this pool first three days? Then the workers apparently feed the queen grubs further Royal Jelly? Then you mustn't shake a frame with a QC on because you may detach the developing queen from the Royal Jelly plug? My question is hasn't that been eaten during the larvaes first three days after hatching? Just want to know for sure.

 

[Poly Hive]

All grubs get RJ for the first three days.

However the larvae selected to become queens are fed a great deal more of it from day one and so by the time they are sealed in their cells they are far more fed than a mere worker.

I can look at a test frame and say yes they are queenless the next day, that is the TF has been in over night as the larvae (if they are Q-) that are being fed as queens are flooded with RJ and are distinctly white.

PJ

 

[beeno]

All grubs get RJ for the first three days.

However the larvae selected to become queens are fed a great deal more of it from day one and so by the time they are sealed in their cells they are far more fed than a mere worker.

I can look at a test frame and say yes they are queenless the next day, that is the TF has been in over night as the larvae (if they are Q-) that are being fed as queens are flooded with RJ and are distinctly white.

PJ

Thanks PH,
It is the Royal Jelly Plug after they are sealed in that confuses me. The larvae in the end are so big that I cannot see how the RJ can get through to the bottom of cell to become a RJ plug or is it that the pool at the bottom is never used up. I have read somewhere the pupa continues to feed itself during pupation from this plug. Is it plugged in through its abdomen then?

 

[oliver90owner]

Larvae do not suddenly become pupae on capping. You perhaps need to read up a bit about it as it is well documented in good bee books.

 

[ultreen1]

I'm inspecting the hive today to see if anything has changed with the cells.
I'll report back any findings!

 

[beeno]

Thank you Oliver, Yes you are absolutely right. I need to read some 'good' bee books. Perhaps you could be kind enough to suggest a reading list for Christmas so that I do not end up with the wrong kind of book - if you know what I mean. It is just as difficult for experts to explain themselves as it is for newbies to ask the question correctly and I must say that some of the people on this forum are truly amazing at guesswork! Comes with experience.
To illustrate my point above. Bjornbee wrote: 'Day 11 - the queen naturally becomes dislodged from the royal jelly plug. Prior to this any bumping or jarring will mean a dead queen.' Not to confuse newbies he should have said the queen bee larva become dislodged. Nicht wahr! Wiki wrote after three days worker larvae are individually fed with pollen and honey. Am I to assume from this that all Royal Jelly is secreted into cell and not fed individually? This is my hobby to provide a little light entertainment and trying to understand beekeeping better.

 

[Poly Hive]

First of all I have no idea what Nicht War or whar means?

After three days as I understand it the workers no longer are fed on RJ, but larvae selected to become queens are.

Further to that I am at a loss as to your question?

PH

 

[ultreen1]

n'est-ce pas?

 

[lancee]

Nicht Wahr, Not true?