Workers do move eggs

Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

drex

Queen Bee
***
BeeKeeping Supporter
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
3,879
Reaction score
1,574
Location
Devon/South Hams
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
5
I have often read about this but not seen any proof.
Today I went into my queen rearing colony ( Cloake board) to put on hair roller cages - day 14.
2 days after grafting I had gone in to check on acceptance, and left the cups in place for those that had not been accepted.
Today those cells had been built out, contains larvae and jelly but were not sealed ( unlike those which had been accepted)
The only explanation I have is that workers went into the lower queenright brood box and brought up eggs which were then placed into the cell cups.
Any comments or other suggestions?
 
I have often read about this but not seen any proof.
Today I went into my queen rearing colony ( Cloake board) to put on hair roller cages - day 14.
2 days after grafting I had gone in to check on acceptance, and left the cups in place for those that had not been accepted.
Today those cells had been built out, contains larvae and jelly but were not sealed ( unlike those which had been accepted)
The only explanation I have is that workers went into the lower queenright brood box and brought up eggs which were then placed into the cell cups.
Any comments or other suggestions?
Yes, I have experience of moved
 
I found a queen cell in a super this year, in the arch above the brood box and QE. It was sealed and had larva and royal jelly inside. There were no other eggs/brood up there. And no other queen cells in the hive.
I removed it but two weeks later they made swarm preparations in earnest
 
Found same on a number of occasions. One post swarm. No QC(s) in BB and found one SBC in super over Qx. Now always check and sometimes fruitfully. Many herein allow such egg(s) to be worker eggs missed by the sisterhood. Others, suggest bees may move/ carry an egg to a PC in the BB and or through the Qx. I imagine a bit of both.
 
Not so common with bees, but their cousins (ants) clearly move eggs - especially when the nest is disturbed
 

Latest posts

Back
Top