Royal Jelly

Summary

Royal jelly is a substance produced by bees that transforms larvae with the genetic potential to become queens into actual queens. In Session 3 of the campaign, the topic emerged during an out-of-character discussion about bee biology and holistic health practices. Shawn describes it as "one of the coolest things about bees," while Dayna shares an experience of receiving vials of it from a coffee shop customer. The substance is discussed both as a biological marvel and as a health supplement consumed by humans.

Details

Royal jelly functions as a developmental trigger in bee colonies. As explained during the session, it is "a kind of jelly that these [larvae] that are born with the genetic potential to be queens, once they eat it, they become queens." This biological process allows bee colonies to produce new queens from larvae that possess the necessary genetic makeup.

In the context of the discussion, royal jelly also appears as a product in holistic health circles. Dayna recounts receiving vials of the substance from a customer while working at a coffee shop, though expresses skepticism about accepting it: "I feel like this could be drugs." Shawn expresses interest in consuming royal jelly specifically to observe potential bodily changes, stating a desire to "eat more of it to see if my body changes in any way."

History

Session 3

Royal jelly becomes a topic of conversation during Session 3. Shawn introduces the subject by describing royal jelly as one of the most remarkable aspects of bee biology and expressing interest in consuming more of it to observe potential physiological effects.

Dayna contributes to the discussion by sharing a personal anecdote about receiving vials of royal jelly from a customer during their time working at a coffee shop. The circumstances of receiving an unsolicited biological substance from a customer led Dayna to question whether the vials might contain something other than what was claimed.

The conversation includes an explanation of royal jelly's function in bee development, establishing it as the substance that activates the queen-development pathway in genetically capable larvae. Erin participates in this discussion about bee biology and the substance's properties.