>Ok, was thinking about regressed bees, so you take bees you do this and that, then they come out from a 4.9 cell. Supposedly if you place the newly regressed bees into foundationless, you will start getting 4.9 or smaller bees. Here is where Im confused. The question is how? Do the smaller bees build smaller cells?
Yes. Bees build cells based partly on their body size.
> It is still the same queen laying in them.
Yes.
> Before she was laying 5.4 bees, now she will start laying 4.9?
She was just laying eggs. The eggs are not 5.4mm or 4.9mm they are just eggs.
> So smaller bees build smaller cells, thus making queen lay smaller bees?
No, she just lays eggs. The eggs hatch and because the size of the bee is determined by the size of the cell, the bees are smaller from smaller cells and larger from larger cells.
>Or smaller bees build smaller cells, queen lays same size larvae, but because of smaller cell the gestation period is shorter, thus smaller bees?
Yes. Not just because of the shorter gestation necessarily, but because of the smaller cell limiting it's growth, but it's true that also limits its gestation.