u/Draculalia

Not a beekeeper but I’ve read a lot ; I hope this isn’t obnoxious. (To satisfy the automod, my location is Pittsburgh.)

When I read about bees’ behavior and anatomy, it’s all so elegant. It seems like everything they do has such purpose.

I know that laying workers happen when a hive is queenless and the queen’s pheromone bouquet wears off. What’s less clear to me is whether the bees think it will work (interpret “think” as you like) to sustain the colony. Why would they spend their energy raising another queen rather than laying drones? Does laying drones have any advantage aside from occasional thelytoky?