Laying workers

[Cussword]

Are laying workers all nurse bees? I thought to shake them all out, and place a not- so built up nuc in it's place so the foragers could beg their way in and build up the population .

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[jenkinsbrynmair]

shaken out bees will beg their way into other Q+ hives, the strong queen pheremones will supress their laying instinct, that, and the 'egg police' will get everything sorted. I'd prefer not to use a nuc which is not that strong as a recipient though - just shake them out in front of all the hives and leave nothing where the offending hive was.

 

[YorkshireBees]

shaken out bees will beg their way into other Q+ hives, the strong queen pheremones will supress their laying instinct, that, and the 'egg police' will get everything sorted. I'd prefer not to use a nuc which is not that strong as a recipient though - just shake them out in front of all the hives and leave nothing where the offending hive was.

That's what I have done in the past and as said don't leave anything (hive stand included) where the hive was and the bees will find the other colonies nearby.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Are laying workers all nurse bees? I thought to shake them all out, and place a not- so built up nuc in it's place so the foragers could beg their way in and build up the population .

.

are you sure it is drone laying workers not a drone lying queen?

 

[Brigsy]

On this topic:

On my queenless side of a split awaiting a mated queen I noticed multiple eggs in play cups which I marked the other day.

I looked today and one was being drawn out with Royal jelly. There are more play cups with multiple eggs and none in worker cells. I take it they will try and fool me by doing this? These are on the bottom of a frame.


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[Hivemaker.]

I take it they will try and fool me by doing this?

Queenless.

 

[Brigsy]

I have put a frame of eggs and larvae in to see, and to try and prevent any more laying worker activity.

I take it this is a normal thing for a q- colony?


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[Cussword]

are you sure it is drone laying workers not a drone lying queen?

The eggs are not at the bottom of the cells, is that a way you diagnose that?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I have put a frame of eggs and larvae in to see, and to try and prevent any more laying worker activity.

I take it this is a normal thing for a q- colony?

After long enough, yes. Open brood consumes the food output of the nurse bees that otherwise overnourishes them and makes them fertile [Snelgrove]. It also produces pheromones that suppress LW. You may need to do it several times to get a LW colony under control and it does not always work.

 

[Goran]

I have put a frame of eggs and larvae in to see, and to try and prevent any more laying worker activity.

I take it this is a normal thing for a q- colony?


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If you wanna play: one frame of open brood, after about 7 days another one. That should be enough. After they seal their qcells, tear them down and place ripe qcell properly grown.. And back on track. Won't be too much to when new queen emerged and start to lay to add frame of sealed brood which will emerge soon..

 

[Brigsy]

Cheers. I'm looking to unite my split back together so hope to get emergency cells to confirm q-

 

[Cussword]

shaken out bees will beg their way into other Q+ hives, the strong queen pheremones will supress their laying instinct, that, and the 'egg police' will get everything sorted. I'd prefer not to use a nuc which is not that strong as a recipient though - just shake them out in front of all the hives and leave nothing where the offending hive was.

Just curious, why leave nothing there? If the layers are nurse bees would they not know where to return to, and the foragers be of help to a weaker hive?
Not arguing, just wanting to understand.
Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just curious, why leave nothing there? If the layers are nurse bees would they not know where to return to, and the foragers be of help to a weaker hive?
Not arguing, just wanting to understand.
Thanks

You have to understand that all bees can fly after a few days of emergence. In a colony that has developed laying workers there is usually no brood and no very young bees so all bees would have gone out and oriented.
The term 'nurse bee' can be a bit disingenuous, it doesn't mean they haven't been out of the hive, and it definitely doesn't mean they are the ones quilty of laying eggs.
If you leave anything behind - the hive stand say, the bees you've shaken out will just cluster there wondering where the hive has gone, quickly joined by all the foragers - by taking everything away they will all just scout around and on seeing another colony will beg their way in there.
Most workers lay at some point, it's just the colony polices the situation and gets rid of the eggs. They only leave them out of desperation when they lose a queen. As soon as these 'laying' workers beg their way into other hives the presence of a queen will supress their desire to lay and an active dealing with any worker eggs by the colony will deal with others.

 

[Cussword]

You have to understand that all bees can fly after a few days of emergence. In a colony that has developed laying workers there is usually no brood and no very young bees so all bees would have gone out and oriented.
The term 'nurse bee' can be a bit disingenuous, it doesn't mean they haven't been out of the hive, and it definitely doesn't mean they are the ones guilty of laying eggs.
If you leave anything behind - the hive stand say, the bees you've shaken out will just cluster there wondering where the hive has gone, quickly joined by all the foragers - by taking everything away they will all just scout around and on seeing another colony will beg their way in there.
Most workers lay at some point, it's just the colony polices the situation and gets rid of the eggs. They only leave them out of desperation when they lose a queen. As soon as these 'laying' workers beg their way into other hives the presence of a queen will suppress their desire to lay and an active dealing with any worker eggs by the colony will deal with others.

Perfect, that was what I needed to know.

Thanks JBM