The Influence of Queenlessness and of Unsealed Brood on the Development of Ovaries in Worker Honeybees

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Abstract
Ovary development in workers in four groups of colonies for 4 weeks was studied: (1) queen confined to one comb by a queen excluder and all eggs removed (no unsealed brood present after 8 days); (2) queen confined to one comb, but all stages of brood present throughout; (3) queen removed, but unsealed brood supplied regularly; (4) queen and brood present (control). Worker bees showed significantly greater ovary development in the absence of unsealed brood and in the absence of the queen (groups 1 and 3). It was possible that confining the queen also had some effect on worker ovary development.