What are my options for a laying worker colony

[Boston Bees]

If you have laying workers, give to the hive a frame of ypung larvae . It stops the worker laying

Sometimes

 

[Finman]

This is what the ocimene is for.

What is ocimene?

 

[Finman]

Sometimes

I have not noticed that. I will look it next time.

 

[Repwoc]

What is ocimene?

Brood pheromone.

 

[Finman]

Brood pheromone.

Ueah...

Hormone moves via blood and pheromone via air. Splended.

 

[Sutty]

If brood pheromone stops the laying workers why doesn't the developing drone brood do it? Maybe only worker brood produces it?

 

[Repwoc]

If brood pheromone stops the laying workers why doesn't the developing drone brood do it? Maybe only worker brood produces it?

I think that was the assumption. I don't know if it's been determined for sure.

 

[Earthboy]

Nothing positively tells me that it's a failed queen and laying workers - wait until some of the brood is capped before doing anything. The multiple eggs thing may just be the queen 'clearing her throat'

"Clearing her throat" especially when the cluster is small and coming out of winter, starting to lay anew in the spring, after a period of non-laying. Check if some of the cells contain just one egg at the bottom, properly pinned.

 

[Finman]

If brood pheromone stops the laying workers why doesn't the developing drone brood do it? Maybe only worker brood produces it?

Because bees cannot rear queen from drone larva.

Not maybe but sure, that young worker larva tells that I am young worker larva. Up to 3 days old all worker larvae are fed with royal jelly.

Drone sends its own feromones: I am a boy!

 

[Finman]

It is usual, that some hive is without queen after winter. I have never seen laying worker in that situation

First I look, where is the smallest colony from where I take a new queen to the queenless colony. No need much to think about it.

Second I look, where is the most angry colony and I change the queen. I take the new queen from next small colony.

 

[Finman]

Very interesting that laying worker story.

University of Sheffield revieled the secret of laying worker queen long time ago. Is it 15 years ago or what , but the knowledge has not made breakthroug in British beekeeping.

The relict of old days wisdom is still shaking bees. The colony may have hundreds of laying workers and they all are able to fly.

 

[Finman]

If the queen does not work correctly. Just shange it . Or join the hive to next door.

The secret is spare hives that you do not need to cry ot no need to play home science.

Changing the queen is one of Basic things in beekeeping.

This discussion in this chain does more harm than good. University of Sheffield will cry when they see this.

 

[Boston Bees]

The relict of old days wisdom is still shaking bees. The colony may have hundreds of laying workers and they all are able to fly.

We know

So what.

The old hive has been removed.

Any colony the laying workers try to enter will either not let them in, or will kill them (unless they can revert to normal worker status, in which case, fine).

Adding frame after frame of eggs from a another colony is a quick way of weakening it, and often doesn't even work.

 

[Michael Palmer]

I usually just shake out the bees and use the equipment somewhere else. Adding good brood to laying worker colonies seems like good wood on bad. One thing...in my mating nucs, if the nuc misses twice in a row there will be laying workers. We add a comb of emerging and a ripe cell. More often than not there will be a mated queen next time around. You'll see many laying worker colonies attempting to raise a new queen. Of course they can't, so will accept a queen cell.

 

[Finman]

We know

So what.

The old hive has been removed.

Any colony the laying workers try to enter will either not let them in, or will kill them (unless they can revert to normal worker status, in which case, fine).

Adding frame after frame of eggs from a another colony is a quick way of weakening it, and often doesn't even work.

Such nonsense...

 

[Finman]

Adding frame after frame of eggs from a another colony is a quick way of weakening it, and often doesn't even work.

Oh dear... you mean that you give a larva frame and hundreds of worker bees continue to lay.

Amazing!!!

Adding frame after frame... who does so... what is the idea???

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Any colony the laying workers try to enter will either not let them in, or will kill them

Who told you that? from personal observation that does not happen.
They will be let in as any extra workers are a boost to the colony, the strong queen pheromones in the host colony will supress the workers' laying instinct.
Every colony has laying workers, but a queenright colony will police it

 

[Finman]

Answer my friend, is blowing in the wind,
The answer is blowing in the wind.

 

[Boston Bees]

Such nonsense...

Just facts

 

[Boston Bees]

Oh dear... you mean that you give a larva frame and hundreds of worker bees continue to lay.

Amazing!!!

Yes. They think they are queenright. That's the point