I have the same laying worker problem and plan to add a frame of brood weekly for a while to see if I can right it... What do I do with the frame that I remove? Place it in the queen right hive that I stole the good frame from??? Help!!!
So you have a hive with no new brood being produced for at least the past 31 days. Probably many drones, and far less nurse bees. And this is the hive you now encourage to raise a new quality queen?
Ok...so you move over a frame for lets say...the next three or four weeks. They do eventually raise a queen after the brood shuts down the laying workers, which will take time. This queen is raised, goes out and mates, and now lays eggs, which takes 21 days to develop. Another 10-12 days to become productive field bees. able to contribute to the hive.
What are we talking about? Mid-August before you turn this hive around? How many visits, frames of brood, and resources are going to be used? You run the risk as the summer goes by from robbing, small hive bettles, and disease taking foothold. Right now, you have a disfunctional colony. With everything out of whack.
As Steve said.....Good luck! You might actually need it.
There has to be a better way. ;)
Please keep us informed as this plays out. It might be interesting.