It is generally accepted that caste determination in the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) is a result of differences in the composition of the larval food. It has been assumed that the glandular secretions of the nurse bee, and the type and age of larvae fed, may change as the nurse bee becomes older. Free (1960) recently investigated this possibility by comparing the distribution of bees of known ages on combs containing brood of known ages. approached this question in a similar manner. The following is a preliminary account of some of our results.
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Furgala et al. (1961) studied this question.