Should I give up on this hive?

[Ian48]

Hi everyone,

I have a colony that has laying workers,
I’ve been keeping a close eye on it for a few weeks, and I think I decided one too many times to leave it and let it sort its self out?
after another inspection last night, I think I’m past the point of no return?
They have very little stores, and no honey in a drawn out super.

Brood pattern is all over the shop, loads of drone bees and very little brood, mainl drone brood,
I’ve looked and looked for a queen but can’t see one, there was a virgin queen in there 5 weeks ago as she emerged from a Q cell as we were inspecting after a swarm, but I suspect she went too?
A couple of weeks ago I saw 3 or 4 eggs in some of cells, but last night they all looked like they were being laid correctly,
Which is why I kept leaving it thinking it will right it’s self?

To be honest, out of the five hives we have this one has given me nothing but trouble this year!

I was all set to unite this hive with another one last week, but decided not to as I don’t want to risk anything happening to a good hard working colony.

I think I’m past the point of re queening this hive, basically I’ve got a hive that do absolutely nothing, they don’t even bother flying out when you open it.

I’ve never had this problem before,
Should I shake the bees through a Q excluder and unite what’s left,
Or try something else?

I keep reading conflicting advice about dealing with laying workers.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ian

 

[Frosty27]

Had the exact same problem as you earlier in the year. I wasted time and resources on it. Wish I had just shook them out earlier.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

just shake them out into some shrubbery and remove the hive and stand

 

[Ian123]

As above….laying workers will not sort themselves out!

 

[Ian48]

Thanks very much for your reply’s,
It’s the kind of answers I was expecting.

At least it’ll free up some hive parts,
Thanks again

Ian

 

[Erichalfbee]

I like to give a shake out a good smoking first. I’m sure it helps acceptance into a new colony. Leave your frames out for the birds to eat.

 

[Ian48]

Just a follow up on this,

After another look just incase, I couldn’t find a Q nor eggs?
But there was still plenty of Drone activity and drone brood.

I shook the bees off the frames today, away from the hive,
The hive in question was sharing a stand with another colony which are on a brood and a half they are a very strong colony and working well.
The shook bees came straight back to where the hive was, clustered around the front of the stand, then some immediately marched over to the other hive entrance.

After around 10 mins the whole lot went in (in quite an organised manner!)
I sat at the entrance for quite a while watching, I couldn’t see any aggression which I see as a good thing.

This isn’t quite what I had expected, but I hope it hasn’t disrupted my other hive too much?

There are two other hives behind these and they never bothered either one!

Someone please tell me it’s fine….

 

[JamezF]

If your other hive has a healthy queen then I think it should be fine.

James

 

[Wilco]

Just a follow up on this,

After another look just incase, I couldn’t find a Q nor eggs?
But there was still plenty of Drone activity and drone brood.

I shook the bees off the frames today, away from the hive,
The hive in question was sharing a stand with another colony which are on a brood and a half they are a very strong colony and working well.
The shook bees came straight back to where the hive was, clustered around the front of the stand, then some immediately marched over to the other hive entrance.

After around 10 mins the whole lot went in (in quite an organised manner!)
I sat at the entrance for quite a while watching, I couldn’t see any aggression which I see as a good thing.

This isn’t quite what I had expected, but I hope it hasn’t disrupted my other hive too much?

There are two other hives behind these and they never bothered either one!

Someone please tell me it’s fine….

Find out in the next week or two when inspecting.

 

[Rory Fields]

Had the exact same problem as you earlier in the year. I wasted time and resources on it. Wish I had just shook them out earlier.

Seconded - I bought some cheap bees from a guy in the neighbouring association a few years back and spent all season donating frames of eggs to it for them to raise queens from (the original queen being incredibly vile-tempered) and it taught me not to waste the resources on saving every colony - they refused to raise anything but worker brood and had to be combined at tge seasons end having been nothing but a drain on resources. Shake em out.

 

[Beth]

I might need to shake one out next spring. Still assessing temperament. The weather is so constantly foul up here, it's become impossible to do inspections without heavy clouds and some degree of rain appearing. Even on a sunny day. Clobber on, hive tool out, then a downpour. Really p*sses me off now, and of course it's all that's needed to tip a tetchy colony over the edge. For now they're foraging like mad building up stores, so they can just carry on getting ready for winter without much further disturbance.

Is the whole hive shaken out, or is it necessary to remove the queen first? I'm not clear on whether a laying queen can fly a distance? Contemplating letting them have a go at raising another from their own stock next year. Two adjacent hives re-queened around the same time, with perfectly sensible queens, so there's just a bad strain of drone about. This one got unlucky and picked the wrong egg!.

 

[blackcloud]

Don't worry about the weather just do it.
It shouldn't be a deciding factor
You need to cull the queen in all cases.
The chances are they will create another bad one .
If you combine them with another then it will be a couple of months before that hive calms down fully.
If you shake them out then adjacent hive can be a little tetchy too

 

[Xander]

Just a follow up on this,

After another look just incase, I couldn’t find a Q nor eggs?
But there was still plenty of Drone activity and drone brood.

I shook the bees off the frames today, away from the hive,
The hive in question was sharing a stand with another colony which are on a brood and a half they are a very strong colony and working well.
The shook bees came straight back to where the hive was, clustered around the front of the stand, then some immediately marched over to the other hive entrance.

After around 10 mins the whole lot went in (in quite an organised manner!)
I sat at the entrance for quite a while watching, I couldn’t see any aggression which I see as a good thing.

This isn’t quite what I had expected, but I hope it hasn’t disrupted my other hive too much?

There are two other hives behind these and they never bothered either one!

Someone please tell me it’s fine….

I had almost exactly the same situation as yourself earlier this year, the colony left on the stand was fine , no detrimental effect from the other bees begging their way in and they're doing fine now on double brood.
Like you I had only 5 hives and was reluctant to lose 20% of my colonies but you'll no doubt be able to make increase next season as I've resigned to do.