Laying workers saga part 2

[derrick1p1]

Hello All: I again have laying workers.  My options on how to handle this are limited (no open brood to give them), so I'm a bit perplexed on how to hand this problem this time around.

I have 3 hives.  #1 and #2 superceded their queens and have queen cells, but little or no brood. 

Hive #3 has laying workers.

Since I haven't any brood to give them, I'm left with doing a shake out.  Last time I did a shake-out, they drifted to a nearby hive and killed the queen in the battle that ensued.  So I'm afraid to do a shake out again because they may enter the other hives and destroy the queen cells. 

Any suggestions or similar experience.  Not sure what to do to keep the other 2 hives moving forward and rearing their queen.

Thanks,
Derrick

[Ross]

First, leave them alone until the other hives have laying queens.  They aren't hurting anything and they won't get any worse.  They are what they are.  Once you have some brood, you can try the 3 weeks of brood insertion if you wish, but with limit assets, I think I would seal them up and kill them, then give the assets to the other hives.  I would feed to re-build the hives.  If you don't have queens hatch on schedule, buy some.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm