Laying Workers

CliveHive · April 06, 2017, 09:46:52 AM

Last year I had a laying worker hive, and followed the advice to scatter the bees, clean the equipment, and try again.

This year when a cutout had a queen that was lost or died in transit, and multi-egg, drone cells said it was happening again, I decided to
try a salvage. Added brood and a caged Italian queen and settled back to see what happened next. After 4 days the queen hadn't been released
but appeared healthy and well cared-for through the cage screen. I poked a hole through the candy-end to help the process along - - -

It has been 12 days since the queen cage was put in the hive. Cage candy is gone. Bees do not appear to be attacking the cage. Queen is
still in the cage with attendants, and appears healthy and lively. There is a new queen cell in the hive.

I would guess the queen made by the new bees has a better chance of winning-over the workers, and getting me to 'queen-right', and that the Italian queen's
scent calmed-down the workers long enough to allow a queen cell. Plan is to remove the Italian queen before the new queen hatches.

What do you think?

Michael Bush · April 06, 2017, 11:16:39 AM

If you catch the laying worker hive early, when there are only hundreds of laying workers instead of thousands, they are often still trying to raise a queen. At that point introducing a queen usually works. Later it does not. "Laying worker" had degrees over time of how difficult they are to remedy. A queen cell often works if you have one handy...

http://bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm

Acebird · April 06, 2017, 04:47:47 PM

Interesting that if the queen was free to come out of the cage that she wouldn't.

davers · April 13, 2017, 08:21:19 AM

Just saw the post and reminded me to ask if a queen cell is put into a hive, does it need a protector to prevent any damage to the cell by the bees?

Michael Bush · April 13, 2017, 05:52:10 PM

I haven't seen any difference with a protector. I have a box of 1,000 or so of them that I bought when I thought they mattered and I never use them...

MikeyN.C. · April 13, 2017, 06:24:47 PM

Iddee showed us a couple of yrs. ago. IF you find it happening early, took a Q rite hive. Took a inner cover and cut a 6"?6" hole and covered wit #8 . Placed LWH one ten deep on top with top entrance after 4 to 7 days pheromone moves up. Worked for us.

erbs honey · April 14, 2017, 12:48:47 AM

Quote from: CliveHive on April 06, 2017, 09:46:52 AM
Last year I had a laying worker hive, and followed the advice to scatter the bees, clean the equipment, and try again.

This year when a cutout had a queen that was lost or died in transit, and multi-egg, drone cells said it was happening again, I decided to
try a salvage. Added brood and a caged Italian queen and settled back to see what happened next. After 4 days the queen hadn't been released
but appeared healthy and well cared-for through the cage screen. I poked a hole through the candy-end to help the process along - - -

It has been 12 days since the queen cage was put in the hive. Cage candy is gone. Bees do not appear to be attacking the cage. Queen is
still in the cage with attendants, and appears healthy and lively. There is a new queen cell in the hive.

I would guess the queen made by the new bees has a better chance of winning-over the workers, and getting me to 'queen-right', and that the Italian queen's
scent calmed-down the workers long enough to allow a queen cell. Plan is to remove the Italian queen before the new queen hatches.

What do you think?

I think that I will try this with the next laying worker hive I have to deal with. It is interesting that the Queen didn't come out, even if she could, but it sounds like it was best that she didn't anyway. I'll probably leave the candy in. Still, I would rather just never see another LWH.