Author Topic: Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs  (Read 1562 times)

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Offline Jen

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Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs
« on: November 10, 2018, 12:50:50 am »
Working on an easy way to explain this.

So, a queen is born with eggs in her abdomen. She gets mated and now has eggs and sperm. She lays an egg and adds sperm now this egg will be a girl bee. If she doesn't add sperm the eggs will be a boy bee.

A laying worker can develop ovaries and lay eggs. But she doesn't have sperm to add to the egg, so the egg will develop into a boy bee.

 Right?...
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Offline Some Day

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Re: Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2018, 06:24:53 am »
Yes Jen. 

A poorly mated queen will run out of sperm and become a drone laying queen. She will lay unfertilized eggs into worker cells which will be capped and have the dome shape of regular drone cells.  These will hatch into mature drones capable of mating.  A laying worker(s) will lay multiple eggs in a cell and the eggs will be found on the sides of the cell due to the workers shorter abdomen not being able to reach the bottom of the cell.

Offline Jen

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Re: Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2018, 02:17:46 pm »
Great answer Some Day, Thanks!

However, I have seen eggs right in the bottom of the cell, laid by laying workers, I'm thinking that the cell itself may not be as deep is it should be.
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Offline Some Day

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Re: Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2018, 07:33:20 pm »
Well Jen,  As you may know nothing is certain in beekeeping.  There are always bees that set out to prove bee experts wrong.

Offline Jen

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Re: Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs
« Reply #4 on: November 10, 2018, 07:38:22 pm »
 :D Ha! No guarantees, that's for sure  ;)
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2018, 10:07:04 pm »
jen, what someday said.......!

"As you may know nothing is certain in beekeeping.  There are always bees that set out to prove bee experts wrong."

including those of us who are not experts! nothing is certain, i have had queens lay like a laying worker til she 'figured' it out and maybe your laying worker figured out how to get her butt down deep in the cell as a queen can.......(doubtful) but i am not an expert. like someday said, 'nothing is certain in beekeeping'. maybe she managed to get her butt in the center of the cell and shoot it out so it hit dead center.... :D
dunno. and thanks for the post jen!
i keep wild things in a box..........™
if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
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Offline Jen

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Re: Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs
« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2018, 12:03:49 pm »
"maybe she managed to get her butt in the center of the cell and shoot it out so it hit dead center"

Killin Me Here!  :D ... Fire Away

Actually, when I'm explaining this situation to other beeks, I want to make sure I'm describing it correctly. Thanks guys  :)


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Offline iddee

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Re: Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs
« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2018, 09:47:45 am »
How about if the laying worker just drops them and they stick where they land? I have seen many lw eggs on the bottom. Some standing, some leaning, some laying on their sides. I would say they were just randomly dropped, but just guessing.
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Offline Les

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Re: Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2018, 03:47:42 pm »
Don’t laying workers also lay multiple eggs in a cell?

Offline iddee

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Re: Queens Eggs vs Laying Worker Eggs
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2018, 06:24:20 pm »
Either that, or multiple laying workers lay in the same cell. Both ways end with numerous eggs in a cell.
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein