How to Correct a Laying Worker Bee Hive, Hive 1 Laying Workers S5E34,

This is a follow up to the prior video where I found 3 out of 4 hives queenless and hive one has gone laying worker. If a hive goes without brood or a queen in the hive for a few days, the worker bees will start laying unfertilized eggs resulting in drone larvae forming in the main brood chamber. This video demonstrates how I correct a laying worker hive. There's been research done that the shake out method does not work and the only way to stop laying workers is with a new queen and brood pheromone to stop the workers from laying. This is how I do just that. Thanks for watching.
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[@markkarstad2899]

Best explanation of fixing laying worker I have seen ever! BTW, you should have a storm cam channel... Seems like every day for you. Would be interested to see a clip of how hard it rains.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hey Mark. I appreciate your comment. If you check out any of my wildlife channel videos from May they have a clip of the hail storm that busted one of my windows. It was really big hail. (Game Cam Wildlife). Thanks for stopping in.

[@eastsussexbeesandwildlife5801]

That was very helpful, i have laying workers in one of my hives. Best wishes from your viewers in the UK

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Glad you liked it. Laying workers are the worst. If the LW hive is not very strong, I just combine them as soon as I detect them. If it's a strong hive, I will use newspaper, if not, I just put it on another single deep hive if I have one. Good luck.

[@eastsussexbeesandwildlife5801]

@@JeromeBeeFarm Thanks for the advice, very much appreciated. Peter

[@massachusettsprepper]

This looks like the kind of whether I have every time I have to work with my bees. It never fails there is always some kind of a storm coming through LOL. Thanks for sharing my friend.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hi MP, weather is really strange the last 12 months. I hope it’s not a sign of things to come. Thanks for stopping in.

[@426superbee4]

Cool clover is the best thing for wild life. deer and the honey bees and things loves it. I got 2 big plots, 1 Red Crimson clover and 1 Dutch White clover ~ He hee i made them put the Crimson clover all over there pipeline! Make them mow it 😆 its give my land some color, helps the wild life and my bees. ~ Yes you can tell a pipeline company what kind of grass you want over it. They will do it~ sink holes, standing water. they will come out and fill them and level it up. Don't ask for trees on it they will not do that tho

[@popquizzz]

Beautiful sunset! I remember those painted sky night after a storm when we lived in Texas. We use to have the sunset in the west while rainbow(s) magically appeared to the east against a backdrop of dark clouds. Thanks for the memories Darren!

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hey Squatch. Yeah, I got lucky on that sunset. There was another nice one tonight, but I was busy and couldn't get to it. Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching.

[@abdulrahmanmaaliki5897]

Hi Jerome, I appreciate your effort to fix a worker laying colony. The advice I once got from the local beekeeping association is that better results noticed when (exposing as you are doing with the but with the double screen method) when you expose them to really strong colony as the Queens pheromones might not be enough initially as the laying worker/workers wouldn't want to give up easily and in case they resist, in the presence of a stronger colony there would be enough bees to police the "new guests" until the laying workers submit or die. Otherwise some laying workers would tell their minions to kill the mated queen of a relatively small colony. Hope it works though.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hi Abdul. I’ve tried this a few times with the double screen without good results. The queen would get superseded because they don’t accept her and they have to start over. The single screen has worked for me pretty much every time.

[@BeeThrifty822]

Thank you! Good luck! I'll keep my eyes peeled for the update 😉

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Thanks Melissa. There’s one coming.

[@van604media7]

Enjoyed you video thanks for Sharing

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Thanks for watching and commenting Van604

[@stufarnham]

I lovevthe old timey intro music. Thanks for it. Stu

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hey Stu. I’m an old timey type of guy. Glad you enjoyed it. Take care.

[@daverowden-RowdyBeeFarms]

This is good info for me... I might be dealing with this myself soon. Like usual thank you for the video

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Thanks Dave. It will happen eventually if you’re keeping bees. lol. The trick is to catch it before it happens and get a brood frame with eggs in there so they have another shot at a new queen.

[@rodneymiddleton9624]

Nice combine method!!!! Thanks Jerome!!!

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Thanks Rodney! Take care.

[@HaselorHoney]

Thank you for sharing and great information 🐝🐝

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@primitivedaisy]

Good luck! I just requeened one today that I was afraid would go laying worker, but hopefully I got in in time. No sign of multiple eggs, in fact no eggs are to be found! I'll have to try your method if it happens again. Much easier than shaking the hive out.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hi PD. I saw a video from a guy, I think David Burns is his name, he claims he’s a certified master beekeeper and he runs a fairly large business. He claimed there was research done, and cited his sources I believe, that the shakeout method doesn’t work to correct laying workers. He mentioned that it wasn’t just one, but many and the ones that make it back into the hive after the shakeout is done will become laying workers or may have been and continue to be a laying worker, so they will always think they are queen right and you can’t break the cycle without a new queen and brood pheromone.

[@sweetstingers]

I am currently doing the same thing with laying workers. I do it the same way I just put the laying queen on the bottom and laying workers up top. Good video

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hey Justin. Yeah, I have two of these right now I’m dealing with. Have you found it better to put the queen on bottom?

[@sweetstingers]

@@JeromeBeeFarm i hate laying workers. I'm not sure to which method would or is best. I have never done the other way. I have heard both ways though. My reasoning to having queen on bottom was the pheromones travel up through the other hive. I turn the laying worker hive entrance around so it faces the back and lock them up for 2-3 days then open them up. Basically the same thing you are doing but queen right on bottom.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Thanks for the insight 👍👍

[@russk3931]

As if you needed more rain!! You could have stocked fish in your pond this year. LOL How many days before you do the combine of the two hives? Send "some" rain up here to MN. 97 F today with 17% humidity. We have only had an inch and half since the first of April. Have a good weekend. I just figured out why I'm so lucky to watch this many videos from you, it is too muddy to work in the yard. LOL

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hey Russ. I could stock fish in my garden right now. lol Man that's crazy. I didn't think MN ever saw 90+. Especially this time of year. Right now it's 84 and 49% humidity here. I just did a couple inspections and I sweat out a couple pounds just walking down there. lol Thanks for stopping in.

[@russk3931]

@@JeromeBeeFarm We average about 12 days a year in the 90's. Tomorrow we could hit a 100 F which would be a new record high for the day.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Man, that’s crazy.

[@niceed00]

You might want to try 'Gaffer's Tape', it's cheaper and just sticky enough to work well without damaging your equipment when you pull it off. Very easy to work with and comes in many colors.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Thanks for the tip.

[@BeesBikinis]

I’ll have to try this next time. I combined my hives with newspaper and it seems (so far) that it worked. Now I will split again.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Occasionally they will superceed the queen with the newspaper method. The screen gives them more time. Thanks for stopping in.

[@stephenmurphy8538]

Good job

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Thanks Stephan.

[@donbearden1953]

Darren, GOOD LUCK! I know how hard it can be to get that resolved. I really hate that your log book got wet. I’m anxious to see how it turns out. I definitely believe you can get r done! What about the other two?

[@markkarstad2899]

I agree, wet log book is a drag. I suggest a waterproof paper solution. It is a thing! Search on "Oxford Stone Paper" No more lost records....

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hey Don & Mark. I was able to salvage the book, but there’s no lines on the paper. lol. I’ll check into that paper. Y’all have a nice weekend. The other two hives are in process now. Videos to come.

[@jonclemons1421]

I am soooooo over this weather! Poor bees don't know whether to crap or wind their watches....and I still don't have honey in the supers. 2 colonies Queenless and I'm going to see if I can fix them like you did.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hey Jon. I think I only have two or three hives putting up in the super. The the rest it’s just a decoration. lol. Good luck with your laying workers.

[@NewEnglandgardening]

I only had a couple of frames of bees last spring when I found I had laying workers. I took out all the frame with drone brood and eggs and put them in the freezer and had to purchase another queen. I guess the laying worker puts out pheromones like a queen when she starts laying. I've seen a method where you shake out all the bees some distance away with the hope that the laying worker does not get back in the hive.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Yes, they think they are queen right and won't accept a new queen, so you have to introduce queen and brood pheromone through a screen and that way they won't kill your queen and the laying workers will stop eventually and they will accept the new queen in a couple weeks.

[@426superbee4]

I went to smoke transfers and combines. much faster less work. The smoke confuses them, and 3 or 4 days after the smoke smell leaves, THERE ACCEPTED ~ I love the weather radar, it really helps, on plains and things. i got 3 kinds of weather radar, 1 out in the gulf, 1 in the middle of the United States it got a zoom on it, i can zoom it rite at my house. and 1 Nation Wide ~ OMG Rain is coming i can see it coming at me right now, its like a fog ! here it comes.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Finally starting to dry up a bit here.

[@426superbee4]

👍

[@nikigores8774]

Fingers crossed to the pending combined success! Somehow l find this bee season thus far to be super challenging 😥

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hi Niki. Yes it’s been a challenge for sure. I thought last year was bad. lol. It’s a good thing I pre ordered those queens back in December or January. It’s definitely a rebuilding year for me. I’m really fortunate though. A lot of people lost everything. Thanks for stopping in.

[@DeeNashreddirt]

This was great information. I've never had a laying worker hive. I'm wondering what you will do for your other two colonies that are queenless. Will you pull a frame of eggs to let them make queens or order two more. It is a crazy bee season. When we get back from Big Cedar I have to check my two new nucs. I bought nucs this year. I wanted to try some different bee breeds. Two Italian nucs and one Carnolian. I really like the Carnolians thus far. Have a great weekend!

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hi Dee. I have the fixes going on 5 & 6 right now. Videos to come. Sounds like a fun trip. Good luck with your Nucs.

[@HoneyHollowHomestead]

I sure hope it works! At least the bees know enough to get in out of the rain. 😜

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hi HHH, yeah, the bees are smarter than the keeper. lol. Take care.

[@tybo759]

New to your channel and came across this video while searching. I have a laying worker hive that I was gonna shake out today. If I can use this method I would like to try IF it works. Have you ever had it work? The reason I ask is because I was told shaking is my only option. (Without using resources from other hives) Thanks in advance.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

I’ve done it at least a dozen times over the last three years and it’s worked every time. Shake out method doesn’t work. Look at David Burns video in the subject. Good luck and thanks for watching.

[@harrisjoubertwithsleepycre1924]

hope it works, i think you just lost a good queen. that is what always happens to me. I dont even try to fix laying worker anymore, just dump them. its a summer dead out

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hi Harris. Yeah it’s a lot of work and time to work them out. Sometimes I think I’d like to just dump them all out and start over as well. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@Makermook]

So the point of this is to let the laying worker hive get used to the smell of a real queen above without letting them kill her right off the bat? How long do you leave the screen in place?

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Correct. A week minimum but two weeks is probably best. Good luck.

[@Makermook]

@@JeromeBeeFarm -- Thanks! I only have 4 hives behind my house, but I enjoy learning all I can. I'm anxious to see how your experiment turns out.

[@vagabond4621]

Thanks for the video! We have had the same problems with queens not being mated due to weather. To be clear, you put the queen above the screen board? Next question, how long do you leave this arrangement in place? I have the exact same problem and I want to try your method as my laying worker hive is rather large.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Yes, queen was on top. The screen is between the laying worker hive and the hive you combine with. I try to go two weeks before o remove screen. Good luck.

[@paulhorning3837]

That nuc queen is going to make more aggressive bees. Maybe think about pinching her in 3 weeks, after she’s in her new hive.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hey Paul. Yeah probably so. I’ll give them a chance and see how it goes. I’m thinking about pulling a split out of one of my three year old green queens to make some more queen cells while it’s still good split timing. Time is getting short though.

[@paulhorning3837]

@@JeromeBeeFarm sounds good, I’ve had mixed results for virgins returning.

[@lourensklopper4217]

Just a question? You have a laying worker in that bottom box......Why not shook all the bees out, then combine? She will still be a laying worker.

[@primitivedaisy]

Probably because it's a pan in the a** to do this. I've done it twice and I dread having another laying worker hive. If I get one again, I will probably go this route.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

The brood and queen pheromone stops the laying workers. This way is pretty easy, but adds a week to the process. And Primitive Daisy is right, it’s a huge PITA. The shakeout by itself doesn’t work, they have to have the new queen and brood to break the cycle. Check out a laying worker video by David Burns.

[@jamestownsendjrtbees3226]

Does a newspaper combine work? I have to deal with a 5 frame nuc this weekend. I don't have a screened board.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

Hey James. It will, but I’ve had mixed results. I think it happens too fast and about half the time your introduced queen gets superseded. I think it’s because they all think that the queen has failed laying drones and they make supersedure cells and give her the boot.

[@russk3931]

@@JeromeBeeFarm You are right Jerome. I have heard putting a frame of eggs and larvae in the queenless hive for a few days first and then merge can work. I am a worry wart, and so when I'm scared of a hive going laying works soon I put a frame of brood in there to hold it off.

[@jamestownsendjrtbees3226]

Ya, I don't want to mess up a good colony with a laying queen. I may try and shake them out and add a swarm cell if I find one in another colony and try to turn it into a walk away split which it was until workers started laying. They had a capped swarm cell, I guess it was a dud?

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

If you don’t have a screen board, you can just lay a piece of screen between the boxes.

[@randyclinganfarms4806]

Would a double screen board work also Jerome

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

No, has to be single screen so bees can touch. You can actually do a vertical split with a double screen. The section without the queen will start making emergency queen cells after you install it (if the queenless half had eggs in it).

[@kylefranz7]

I just merged a laying worker hive into one my queen right hives using a double screen. I had the queen right hive on the bottom and the laying worker on top so the top could get all the smell pheromones. i gave it 48 hours and then removed the double screen. All went well. Jerome is right though, a single screen might be better so they can touch.

[@JeromeBeeFarm]

So a double screen isolates both hives same as having a solid board there. You can vertical split a hive with the double screen. The part of the hive without the queen will make emergency cells. This is why I say it’s the same as a solid board. It’s important that the bees can touch trough the screen. Thanks for all the comments.