Jimmys Mum
House Bee
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2012
- Messages
- 479
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Berkshire
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 13
Quick question, hope somebody can guide me please......this is my 4th season and for the first time I think I have a laying worker situation.
The hive in question has steadfastly refused to be requeened or successfully United since late July. I put in a test frame 10 days ago and when I checked on Wednesday, they have indeed drawn a group of emergency queen cells.
My plan was to test for queenlessness and then try and unite with another queenright colony to bolster them. .....However as well as the queen cells I also noticed on Wednesday that on one frame a few frames up from the test frame, there is a fist sized area of cells with multiple eggs in each, including a play cup. It looks to me like the early stages of laying workers.
My question is, would a unite be risky for my queen in the queenright colony and should I just shake them out now....the colony is still quite populous but clearly getting on a bit!
The hive in question has steadfastly refused to be requeened or successfully United since late July. I put in a test frame 10 days ago and when I checked on Wednesday, they have indeed drawn a group of emergency queen cells.
My plan was to test for queenlessness and then try and unite with another queenright colony to bolster them. .....However as well as the queen cells I also noticed on Wednesday that on one frame a few frames up from the test frame, there is a fist sized area of cells with multiple eggs in each, including a play cup. It looks to me like the early stages of laying workers.
My question is, would a unite be risky for my queen in the queenright colony and should I just shake them out now....the colony is still quite populous but clearly getting on a bit!
