Laying Worker Success!

[drstitson]

A newbie who did our association beginners course 2 years back and bought some bees off me early last summer to populate her dartington found herself queenless with laying workers in late august. Being rather late in season, having no nearby brood to spare myself and likewise nowhere nearby to shake the bees out we looked into the various options, including a chat with HM.

rather than give up on the colony and resource next spring - in the end my plan involved sourcing a queen (thanks TOBY-3652), moving colony and letting the foragers return to a new hive on original site. once they'd been there for a day or so introduced cage (bees and cage perfumed syrup sprayed) and left for a week until sure not attracting undue attention then released. 8 days down the line there were two frames with patches of single eggs and 1-2 day old larvae.

now just relocating original hive ready to do a final forager unite before dealing with remaining house bees including the layers.

 

[enrico]

When you said chat with HM I wondered why you would talk to the queen, mind you I suppose she knows about queens... Then I realised who you really meant!

 

[drstitson]

The newbie concerned does have a tendency to sing gently to her bees whilst inspecting.

the hive is "nicely" painted but she does wear smock and gloves so not the full "floaty dress" NBT approach!!!!

 

[itma]

Are you planning to try to "turn off" the laying workers with some brood pheromone before uniting them, or just to shake out and let nature take its course?

 

[drstitson]

just going to let another batch of natural flyers find the new hive and then shake out the remainder.

 

[beeno]

just going to let another batch of natural flyers find the new hive and then shake out the remainder.

Lost on me please explain how the new flyers will find the old location? Bleeding off and foragers will prefer Q+ colony?

 

[drstitson]

original hive is being moved back step by step towards new Q+ hive. once settled there and bees flying will be removed, leaving them to find way into the Q+ hive.

 

[HM Honey]

Thanks Drstitson, I found this very interesting, and as it appears to have worked, this will be the method I use if ever faced with laying workers I think.

Cheers

 

[drstitson]

obviously if you have enough hives it's easiest to shake out and take the hit.
but
we were stuck with one of Finman's favorite UK beeks, late in season.

you can't unite directly with another hive and no brood handy to donate so was worth a punt. nothing really to lose apart from cost of a queen.

 

[REDWOOD]

Nice one Dr logical if you think about it, iam dying to know who is Finmans golden girl, anyone we know?

Sent from my GT-S5570 using Tapatalk 2

 

[drstitson]

No; No-one in particular - i was just implying a typical "one hive owner".

 

[REDWOOD]

Yes he loves those guys and girls

 

[drstitson]

i don't really picture finman in a gold tracksuit with a cigar.

 

[REDWOOD]

Nor me but he has fixed it for a few beekeepers