Laying Worker(s)?

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PaleoPerson

Field Bee
Joined
Jul 18, 2009
Messages
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Location
Essex
Hive Type
14x12
Did a hive inspection today and the little darlings are really out to confuse me.

3 frames of stores and then on 4th, nice brood pattern and around the outside of the brood, eggs. Up to 6 per cell. Bugger, laying worker in queenless hive!

5th frame, classic layout, stores, pollen brood, eggs (single per cell), same with 6th and then on the 7th. The marked and very healthy queen.

Laying workers AND Laying queen?

This is a new queen that has only been laying for three weeks, I assume the laying worker(s) is from the first of her brood.

What to do now?

Any ideas guys?
:confused::confused::confused:
 
What to do now?

Do nothing,most likely just the young queen banging out to many eggs....athough there can be a few laying workers in any colony, i suspect these are eggs layed by the new queen.
 
eggs.jpg


Extreme case !!
 
Is there a glut of pollen blocking in the queen and limiting her laying to a small space? Queens laying multiple eggs per cell is nothing unusual. The surplus eggs get destroyed by the workers.

In any colony their do exist workers capable of laying the odd egg, but proper 'laying worker situation' only develops in a queenless colony.
 
Did a hive inspection today and the little darlings are really out to confuse me.

3 frames of stores and then on 4th, nice brood pattern and around the outside of the brood, eggs. Up to 6 per cell. Bugger, laying worker in queenless hive!

5th frame, classic layout, stores, pollen brood, eggs (single per cell), same with 6th and then on the 7th. The marked and very healthy queen.

Laying workers AND Laying queen?

This is a new queen that has only been laying for three weeks, I assume the laying worker(s) is from the first of her brood.

What to do now?

Any ideas guys?
:confused::confused::confused:

i would say that its a Queen lreaning to lay, give her time. And is there room to lay?? or is she honey bound?
 
The brood/pollen/stores pattern is absolutely text book, not honey bound and there is more space if needed. Multiple eggs are only on one frame and these are around sealed brood. Frame size is 14x12.

I must admit, she has gone a bit ott on the egg laying whereas most of the others are cutting back now.

Hopefully this should be nice and strong for the winter.
 
You do check for SHB? Not near Stanstead or docks? Likely new queen with no space.

Regards, RAB
 

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