Laying worker colony

[Erichalfbee]

Can any if you experienced folk help?
I have a laying worker colony which I plan to shake out today
They are on the same stand as a Colony requeening itself. Checked yesterday 3 weeks post emergence and nothing yet

The chances are that this shake out is going to graduate to its neighbour
Could that be a problem?
Am I better uniting them with a strong colony I have spare? I was going to give these away.
Any ideas anybody?

 

[buchaness]

I have used a snelgrove board for that a couple times, worked fine. just bled the bees away from the laying worker hive

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In this case, unite, as guaranteed the majority would end up in the requeening hive at a crucial stage.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks JBM
Not many bees left So covered the vulnerable colony with magic twigs and shook them out.
I know I should have done what you said And that was my first thought but got impatient!
I have both original queens so not much lost.
The swarm living on the potting shed roof are in an eight frame poly 14x12 with four solid frames of brood in 12 days so I have them as well.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks JBM
Not many bees left So covered the vulnerable colony with magic twigs and shook them out.
I know I should have done what you said And that was my first thought but got impatient!
I have both original queens so not much lost.
The swarm living on the potting shed roof are in an eight frame poly 14x12 with four solid frames of brood in 12 days so I have them as well.

If there are only a few bees, no problem, It's just sometimes even LW colonies can be pretty big. - such as the one I had this spring and decided to not follow my usual instinct but instead, united with an overwintered nuc with a good queen in - they're now on ten frames and will be Demarree'd first chance I get.

 

[Karsal]

Can any if you experienced folk help?
I have a laying worker colony which I plan to shake out today
They are on the same stand as a Colony requeening itself. Checked yesterday 3 weeks post emergence and nothing yet

The chances are that this shake out is going to graduate to its neighbour
Could that be a problem?
Am I better uniting them with a strong colony I have spare? I was going to give these away.
Any ideas anybody?

I did a shake out several years ago of a laying worker colony. Absolute carnage at the hive I was hoping would accept the ones that were OK. It was like a battle scene from Lord Of The Rings at the front of my good colony. Never again. I will dispatch them humanely.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I did a shake out several years ago of a laying worker colony. Absolute carnage at the hive I was hoping would accept the ones that were OK. It was like a battle scene from Lord Of The Rings at the front of my good colony. Never again. I will dispatch them humanely.

Sounds like you dumped them right outside the recipient hive - seldom a good idea.
I usually shake them out a few yards away, ideally into some rough grass or brambles

 

[Repwoc]

Paul Kelly of UoG Honey Bee Research Centre recommends uniting a LW colony with a Q+ one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycKdlYzrcOE

Anyone here tried that?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Paul Kelly of UoG Honey Bee Research Centre recommends uniting a LW colony with a Q+ one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycKdlYzrcOE

Anyone here tried that?

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=710139&postcount=5

 

[GuyNir]

Paul Kelly of UoG Honey Bee Research Centre recommends uniting a LW colony with a Q+ one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycKdlYzrcOE

Anyone here tried that?

Did exactly that last year, worked absolutely fine.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Paul Kelly of UoG Honey Bee Research Centre recommends uniting a LW colony with a Q+ one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycKdlYzrcOE

Anyone here tried that?

Paul Kelly also believes that laying workers can't fly!!

 

[Repwoc]

Paul Kelly also believes that laying workers can't fly!!

Yes I saw that - I wonder where that rumour started? Seems to be a global groupthink.