Author Topic: laying worker for sure! (Read 10648 times)

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #20 on:** May 26, 2006, 06:20:44 pm »

Do some research on the "unlimited brood box" you'll be pleasantly surprised. And in case you haven't noticed there are as many ideas on the way to do things as there are beekeepers. What might not have worked for MB as worked for me, what might work for him might not work for me. The best advice is to test the advice and find what best works for you and stick with, there's more than one solution to every problem.

Scott Derrick · « **Reply #21 on:** May 26, 2006, 06:40:56 pm »

Brian,

I do understand that everyone has their own methods. I very much appreciate your help last night and today.

Anyway this is what I did since I had already ordered a queen.

I took a frame or capped and upcapped brood with bees from a strong hive and check to see if the queen was on it or not. I did not see the queen.

Then I put the frame of brood / eggs into a nuc with the queen that I had to pick up today. I placed the nuc in a totally different place then the laying worker hive was. I placed 4 undrawn frames in the hive as well. The queen was in a plastic queen cage with candy. I put the queen on the bottom of the nuc so the bees could tend her. Ohh...and I did tunnel the candy a small amount hoping that they would have her out in a day or two.

I walked about 150 feet away from the bee yard and shook out all the bees from the two deep supers that were queenless. I made sure that all of them were out of the supers. I then put the supers, which had some honey on top of a couple of strong hives in hopes that they would continue the work that the others had started.

When I look over at the position that the queenless hive was in it was amaizing how many bees had come back an started clinging to the concrete block hive stand. I hope they will all dispurse to other hives soon.

Ohh....and i also put some sugar water on top of the nuc with the new queen.

Any feedback?

Scott

TwT · « **Reply #22 on:** May 26, 2006, 06:49:37 pm »

why not put a hive back were the hive was at so the forager would have a hive to return too and help the nuc you are starting... from my understanding of the laying work thing, the laying worker are young nurse bee's that have never foraged and that why you take the hive away so the laying worker can't find their way back but the foragers can then return to its original place and help with the new queen or frames of larva and eggs to raise a queen.... but like I said I have only done this once and it worked fine for me but I'm always willing to learn other way's....

Scott Derrick · « **Reply #23 on:** May 26, 2006, 07:40:29 pm »

Ted,

I thought I would take the advice that I have been getting from everyone and combine it to come up with a solution. I don't know if it will work or not. I sure hope so. What I am hoping is that some of the displaced bees will find their way into some of my other hives. As of a half an hour ago they are all clinging to the cinder block...actually filling the hole of the block on one side.

Make me wonder if the queen might bee there. But she wouldn't have found her way back would she have?

I don't know if what I have done will work but we will see. My true hope was that many of them would try to populate the nuc with the new queen. I'm not sure if it will happen or not.

Scott

TwT · « **Reply #24 on:** May 26, 2006, 07:46:10 pm »

I hope it works out Scott, like I said before I have only done it that one way, these other guys know allot more than me but after shaking out that laying worker hive 100+ feet and setting up the nuc with the new queen I would have put the nuc on the blocks were the hive I shaken out was so the forager's would help the nuc get jump started but that's just me, guest they will try to find another hive to join but I would want them in the nuc alone but that just me.... good luck Buddie!!!

TwT · « **Reply #25 on:** May 26, 2006, 07:54:36 pm »

you know but with you shaking out a 2 deep hive a nuc would be too small for all those foragers, I would be tempted to put the new queen and the frames in a single deep so there would be enough room.... but you will have to make that judgement call...

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #26 on:** May 27, 2006, 12:57:13 am »

TwT is correct on 2 counts the recipiant hive should have been placed where the laying worker hive was, vis my suggestion about the placement of the nuc since you seemed determined to use one. The second suggestion was concerning the size of the hive. A nuc won't hold all those bees which prompted my three box suggestion. My suggestions were aimed at modifing a system thats been used for years by a lot of beekeepers. My lesson--stay with what you know until proven wrong.
The bees will clump at there last know address queen or no queen so placeing the hive there for the returning bees would have been the best move.

Scott Derrick · « **Reply #27 on:** May 27, 2006, 10:28:49 am »

Brian,

After further thought yesterday I did decide to put the nuc were in the location of the last queenless hive. They did clump on the block yesterday which is what prompted me to do so. I did place some of them in the nuc. I'm not sure the population of the hive was great enough to warrent a hive body but if I need to I will make that happen. Again....thanks so much for the advice. You all are so helpful.

Scott

Michael Bush · « **Reply #28 on:** May 27, 2006, 11:03:21 am »

I have done many things with laying workers that worked SOMETIMES. The problem is they don't work conistently. I assume a person wants something that works with predictable results. I have managed to requeen a lot of laying worker hives with much expended effort and money spent on wasted queens.

The two methods I've outlined have ALWAYS worked to resolve my problems. All the other methods I've tried (like the "book" shaking them out but leaving the equipment there) may have worked now and then, but have not worked consistently.

Brian D. Bray · « **Reply #29 on:** May 27, 2006, 03:53:43 pm »

MB,

Good point, and I'm the one saying uniformity. Duh.