I know less than many [most] of you - so rather than trod down known dead-end paths, I thought I'd ask ...
If the smell of wet brood works to inhibit and/or reverse/suppress Laying Workers ... would a Queenright Nuc set on a double screen (think Altmiller Screen), over a LW colony, fix the LW problem over time?
Something to keep in mind as I ask this question - I don't have a winter per-se. My flow starts in October(ish) with citrus, then Nov/Dec eucalyptus, then Jan-Mar plums, etc - and the flow pretty much ends in May. Then I've got all summer with pollen coming in (but not surplus nectar) ... so I have the luxury of time, that a northern beekeeper might not have ...
It might work it you add fresh eggs and larva every 9 or 10 days until the laying workers die of old age. To me it seems like more trouble than it is worth but if you have the time it might be a fun experiment. Not sure it the smell of the brood from the box above (or below)would be enough to keep new laying workers from developing so double stacking might have no advantage. I add eggs and brood to new splits every 10 days so I don't get laying workers. It doesn't have to be much. Laying workers is a rare occurrence unless you don't monitor hives for extended periods.
Quote from: CoolBees on July 03, 2019, 03:20:43 PM
I know less than many [most] of you - so rather than trod down known dead-end paths, I thought I'd ask ...
If the smell of wet brood works to inhibit and/or reverse/suppress Laying Workers ... would a Queenright Nuc set on a double screen (think Altmiller Screen), over a LW colony, fix the LW problem over time?
Something to keep in mind as I ask this question - I don't have a winter per-se. My flow starts in October(ish) with citrus, then Nov/Dec eucalyptus, then Jan-Mar plums, etc - and the flow pretty much ends in May. Then I've got all summer with pollen coming in (but not surplus nectar) ... so I have the luxury of time, that a northern beekeeper might not have ...
I found that the answer to your question is - No. Awhile back, when I was attempting to combine a queen- less hive above with a queenright hive below - using a double screen board - I ended up with laying workers above.