Drone Layer What age of bee is she

billdean · July 12, 2019, 11:41:35 PM

If you have a worker bee laying eggs in your hive what age of bee is she? Would she be a nurse bee, house cleaner, guard bee, Forager, etc. Does any one no?

BeeMaster2 · July 13, 2019, 12:07:54 AM

I have never seen a study of this subject but I suspect it is nurse bees who develop ovaries and become laying workers.
Jim Altmiller

Ben Framed · July 13, 2019, 01:05:44 AM

Quote from: sawdstmakr on July 13, 2019, 12:07:54 AM
I have never seen a study of this subject but I suspect it is nurse bees who develop ovaries and become laying workers.
Jim Altmiller

Reasonable answer Jim, At what age does a nurse bee begin flying?

AR Beekeeper · July 13, 2019, 07:45:36 AM

Ben; Honey bees take their first flight 6 days after emerging. This is a limited flight to orient on the hive and have their first bowel movement as an adult.

billdean · July 13, 2019, 09:45:06 AM

I have one nuc that has a laying worker possibly? I have lost 2 queens to this hive. Both from cells. What I found yesterday when I open up the nuc, was 2 little patches, not quite the size of a baseball, of drone brood in the center of 2 frames. At first I thought a drone laying queen but the virgin queen that was there at one time was not to start laying until at least tomorrow. Now I am thinking a laying worker. I took the hive and shook it out in the middle of the yard. Some of the bee returned to the nuc, presumably the foragers. All of the rest went into a couple production hives. Thinking now that so many bees did not return to the original hive, I placed a frame of brood, honey back into the nuc along with another caged queen. I kept the corked on both ends due to the fact I am unsure this will result in anything different that the other 2 queens. I was wondering that if they were nurse bees laying workers, would they find their way back. It just doesn't seem that they could be foragers bees. I haven't seen any orientations. Doesn't mean they didn't happen though.

Ben Framed · July 13, 2019, 10:54:32 AM

Quote from: billdean on July 13, 2019, 09:45:06 AM
I have one nuc that has a laying worker possibly? I have lost 2 queens to this hive. Both from cells. What I found yesterday when I open up the nuc, was 2 little patches, not quite the size of a baseball, of drone brood in the center of 2 frames. At first I thought a drone laying queen but the virgin queen that was there at one time was not to start laying until at least tomorrow. Now I am thinking a laying worker. I took the hive and shook it out in the middle of the yard. Some of the bee returned to the nuc, presumably the foragers. All of the rest went into a couple production hives. Thinking now that so many bees did not return to the original hive, I placed a frame of brood, honey back into the nuc along with another caged queen. I kept the corked on both ends due to the fact I am unsure this will result in anything different that the other 2 queens. I was wondering that if they were nurse bees laying workers, would they find their way back. It just doesn't seem that they could be foragers bees. I haven't seen any orientations. Doesn't mean they didn't happen though.

Bill, TheHoneyPump has went to great lengths recently explaining laying workers and how to deal with them. It would be to your advantage to go back and check out his writings. This will explain your problems and how to deal with them. Best wishes.

billdean · July 13, 2019, 01:34:26 PM

Yes, I have read and reread HP's posts as well as many others. I don't recall him or anyone else answering the questions I have asked Thanks for the reminder though. I do know how to deal with a laying worker hive. This situation is a bit different and I am not sure that I haven't all ready dealt with it.

Ben Framed · July 13, 2019, 09:52:14 PM

Quote from: billdean on July 13, 2019, 01:34:26 PM
Yes, I have read and reread HP's posts as well as many others. I don't recall him or anyone else answering the questions I have asked Thanks for the reminder though. I do know how to deal with a laying worker hive. This situation is a bit different and I am not sure that I haven't all ready dealt with it.

10-4 Maybe someone here will be able to answer.

Michael Bush · July 29, 2019, 12:34:45 PM

Since half the bees in the hive typically become laying workers I would say all ages.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00299895

If you mean a drone laying queen, that's another topic...