In a new study, we show that eggs of queens in small colonies  are not only larger but also qualitatively better than eggs produced by queens in big colonies. The superior eggs give larvae a head start. Under natural conditions, larvae that start small but grow up in large colonies can compensate by growing faster and end up similarly-sized as adult workers that grow from big eggs in small colonies. However, when small eggs are transferred into small colonies, they do not catch up and emerge as smaller adults.