Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Bush_84 on September 01, 2013, 09:46:57 pm

Title: Drone laying queen?
Post by: Bush_84 on September 01, 2013, 09:46:57 pm
I have a hive that went queenless and required a frame of eggs to rear a queen.  It had plenty of nice queen cells made, but now all I see are drone brood.  There are eggs but they never seem to amount to anything.  The eggs are layed as though a queen put them there.  One egg plopped right where it should be.  Never any multiples.  Never on the side of the cell.  I have never seen a queen in the hive.  Any experience with a drone laying queen or could I be wrong and have a laying worker?  Any chance I could combine this hive with another and not end in disaster?  Or should I just shake them out in front of my other hives?
Title: Re: Drone laying queen?
Post by: Joe D on September 01, 2013, 10:10:06 pm
A freind of mine that raises queen, this spring had some that only laid drones.  What we figured was when it was time for the virgin flight the weather was bad and she didn't get breed.  You could have a laying worker though.  As far as shaking them out to other hives, depending on numbers etc, I would see about getting a queen myself.
Back this spring I had a hive swarm and there was no queen cell in the hive, I tried to find a queen, didn't, caught a swarm and was going to combine them.  When checking that day before combining the two, I found a frame of worker brood.  Put swarm in their own hive then.  Hope it all works out for you.




Joe
Title: Re: Drone laying queen?
Post by: Wolfer on September 01, 2013, 11:01:11 pm
I've had drone layers and they did exactly as you describe. Your only options as I see it is get a queen or combine them. It would be best if you killed her before combining but I had one this year I couldn't find. I combined anyway and the bees sorted it out right. You could end up with two queen less hives though.
Title: Re: Drone laying queen?
Post by: tefer2 on September 02, 2013, 09:26:08 am
To late in the season for introducing a new queen. I'd say shake them out or combine with another hive using a double screen board.