I have hive that appears to have a laying worker. It has lots of drones and I see cells with eggs that don't look to be placed right, like they're sort of on the sides. I have searched high and low and can't find a queen. I took a frame of sealed brood that also has a half finished queen cell with a big larva in it and gave to them. I've heard laying workers can be a problem but I don't know why that is. Anything else I should do?
Pheromones from open brood inhibit the development of the worker reproductive organs, and also inhibit the workers from laying. You should add some open brood. My LW hive took 2-3 weeks of adding a frame of open brood per week, then I re-queened and all is well.
Grid.
were you not having problems with your hives to full and no room to expand? i would shake this hive out and then make a new one with resources from each of your other hives. that gives you room for a new, and maybe helps with your overcrowding on the old. if your old hives are so crowded, you should be able to make a really nice new hive. buy a queen or let them raise their own.
Yea, I just don't want more hives. I have enough to manage based on time available and size of yard.
just shake them out. they'll join other hives and make them stronger. you'll be down one hive.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm)