• DOI:10.1007/s00040-003-0708-y
Corpus ID: 11988371

Worker policing persists in a hopelessly queenless honey bee colony (Apis mellifera)

@article{Chline2003WorkerPP,
  title={Worker policing persists in a hopelessly queenless honey bee colony (Apis mellifera)},
  author={N. Ch{\^a}line and S. J. Martin and F. Ratnieks},
  journal={Insectes Sociaux},
  year={2003},
  volume={51},
  pages={113-116}
}

N. Châline, S. J. Martin, F. Ratnieks

Published 2003

Biology

Insectes Sociaux

SummaryIn queenright colonies of Apis mellifera, worker policing normally eliminates worker-laid eggs thereby preventing worker reproduction. However, in queenless colonies that have failed to rear a replacement queen, worker reproduction is normal. Worker policing is switched off, many workers have active ovaries and lay eggs, and the colony rears a last batch of male brood before dying out. Here we report a colony which, when hopelessly queenless, did not stop policing although a high… CONTINUE READING

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