Hmmm....probably a dumb question, but needs an answer

[Cindi]

This probably has been answered somewhere before, I admit to being too lazy to do a search.

Some have regressed bees.  When a new queen is raised, is that queen also regressed?  Tiny?  Would she fit through a queen excluder?  If so, do they build queen excluders for teeny tiny queens?  Have a great day, great life, great health.  Cindi

[EasternShore]

Cindy...I can't stop laughing.... teeeny tiny queens... That just made me spit pepsi all over my laptop!

I'm guessing they won't be that small..but what do I know...

[Cindi]

Mark, good, laughter is good for the body, mind and soul (not so good for the computer though, sorry, hee, hee!!!)  Wish I had a pepsi right now, ummmmm, good.  Beautiful day in this life.  Cindi

[Beaver Dam]

  :lol:Tring to keep her away from those mean old drones? Just pulling your leg.   Hello,  from N.Centeral Texas.

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

Cindi, just at a guess, I would say queen size is relatively unaffected by regression because queen cells are outside the normal cell structure and build specifically for queens.

[bassman1977]

Some have regressed bees.  When a new queen is raised, is that queen also regressed?  Tiny?  Would she fit through a queen excluder?  If so, do they build queen excluders for teeny tiny queens?  Have a great day, great life, great health.

From what I understand is no, they are not regressed.  Yes, the egg may be laid in a smaller cell, but the bees are drawing out the queen cell to the same size as always.  That size, is not being "controlled" (for lack of a better word).

Not a dumb question.  I wondered about that too. Gets me thinking though...can they be regressed if the queen cell could be manipulated to be smaller also.

[Melilem]

But how would she get her big queen sized bottom into a small cell? Where is Michael Bush when you need him....

[johnnybigfish]

Hey beaver dam! What part of North central Tx? Im in Wichita Falls!

your friend,
john

[Brian D. Bray]

But how would she get her big queen sized bottom into a small cell? Where is Michael Bush when you need him....

The pupae regardless of worker, drone, or queen is always positioned head up within the cell in order to eat their way to freedom, so it is her tiny pointed little derriere that sits at the bottom of the cell and will fit nicely into small cell.  Even after she's mated with an enlarged abdomen she can still slip her little hinny into those small cells.

Heads up, tooshie down, that's the way they all set.  So do I for that matter, I'm to stove up to get my keister higher than my thinkbox, although my wife keeps insisting I set on my brain all the time. She claims a swift kick in the pants is the most direct root to my brain.

[Cindi]

The pupae regardless of worker, drone, or queen is always positioned head up within the cell in order to eat their way to freedom, so it is her tiny pointed little derriere that sits at the bottom of the cell and will fit nicely into small cell.  Even after she's mated with an enlarged abdomen she can still slip her little hinny into those small cells.

Heads up, tooshie down, that's the way they all set.  So do I for that matter, I'm to stove up to get my keister higher than my thinkbox, although my wife keeps insisting I set on my brain all the time. She claims a swift kick in the pants is the most direct root to my brain.

Oh Brian, you have that most wonderful way with words, I kid you not!!!  Such a picture you have painted here, in my mind's eye, you maka me laugh, big guy!!!  And.....I think your Wife knows best, by the way, I am smiling....have a beautiful, most wonderful day, life, great health wishes to us all.  Cindi

[Cindi]

Ponderings....I believe the question has been fully answered to my satisfaction.  Beauty.  Have a wonderful and great day, Cindi

[Michael Bush]

>Some have regressed bees.  When a new queen is raised, is that queen also regressed?

Some think so.  I don't see any real difference.

>  Tiny?  Would she fit through a queen excluder?

No.  That has not been a problem.

>  If so, do they build queen excluders for teeny tiny queens?

Sure.  The punched zinc ones from Walter T. Kelley are smaller...

On those rare occasions that I need one for queen rearing, I use the standard wire ones.

[1of6]

Cindi,
Actually, a pretty smart question that lends to a few different avenues of thought.  One that comes to mind for me is the argument that bigger cell sizes led to bigger, more prolific queens.  One argument that I heard in a different thread was   (See post number 10)  "I recently read in "Bee Sex Essentials" (by Larry Connor...p.74) that 'large queens produce more ovarioles (egg producing structures) and as a result can lay more eggs in the same time period as a smaller queen of the same stock'."

If there is no correlation between smaller or regressed bees and queen size, this idea may not have any truth.  I'd love to know more (if we can keep the thread from turning into a fight.)