laying worker

[vadentwin]

Good point, As long as there is a queen, there are plenty of numbers to hold them for a while. I am not worried about eggs. I just don't want another laying worker. At this point, this is as much and experiment as much as wanting to save this hive. I gave them plenty of resources an left the frame of drone brood. The other hive there is strong and also still has drones.

Hoping for a Christmas Miracle. Hope everyone has great holidays and successful 2021

[vadentwin]

They have made a new queen. The Queen cell that I thought was from a laying worker egg has been chewed down. There is another cell that has the side chewed out and yet another that is still capped and dark. I think she is only a few days old. She hasn't started laying but they are bringing in pollen like crazy and there is so much more bread being made. Still a few drones around in both hives on this property, so hopefully she has mated or will be soon. She was very shy and hard to picture but there are a few attached. Still many hurdles to cross but moving in the right direction.

[Rojodiablo]

Well; hot dggity-dawg!!!!  Let's hope she is able to be mated well, or at least well enough to hold on for a few months, and make her replacement during swarming season!!
I am now looking at the bottoms of several of my hives which are kinda overactive, the are acting like it's March in their world. Am expecting some drone brood soon, and some queen cells. It's too early, for sure. We had all of 3 rain days in the last 8 months, and these girls get all hoppity like they are ready for an almond and citrus bloom........
Being a warm climate guy like you- After last year, I am going to take a different approach, and watch them VERY closely the next couple of weeks, rain be damned. I was two steps behind all last year, and I have figured out better where I need to be by February.

Hoping you see eggs in two to three weeks!!

[Dirt Rooster]

We are getting a normal winter down here for a change.  I think that is going to make for a better spring than we had in 2020.

[vadentwin]

Weekly update: Didn't see the queen this week and still no brood or eggs. There is still a cell in there that hasn't been chewed out. Hoping she is on a mating flight. Drone counts are dropping though I did see a few leaving and returning before my inspection.

[Rojodiablo]

My two strongest hives are making  some drones now, and that funky-assed comb they love to use between the first and second floor of the hive..... The very wild hive has three queen ells on a single frame that are new, but not laid in yet. Gonna be near 80 this weekend...... I think they might hit the go button after this, no rain or real cold showing for ten days. March is coming to town in January....... swarm time.

[vadentwin]

It has been quite cool and damp here in central Fl. Few gorgeous days followed by several cool overcast days. I was really excited to see a queen last week but this week I am starting to think this hive will need to be combined. Red Maple will be ramping up soon along with Carolina plum. I'm gonna leave them to their devises and track progress or digression weekly. I think if I had tried this any time other than the winter dearth it would have been successful. I was however able to get rid of or convert the laying worker(s). Just timing didn't allow for a new queen to mate.

[Rojodiablo]

Every time I think winter is dragging on.... I remember that the New Hampshire guys won't see 50 degrees with any normalcy until Mid Marc, if they are lucky.......  I got drones coming, and it's almost time for the population explosion.

[Dirt Rooster]

Yep in a month and a half we'll be starting to raise queens, make splits and populate nucs.  As much as I feel like I've got time to get ready I probably still won't be.  We are currently working on prepping a site to build a new shop.  Well, It's a 30'X 50' pole barn but it will eventually be a shop.  For the first time I've got more orders than I think I can fill.  Of course they are verbal orders and when it comes time to pay a lot of those disappear due to packages coming available before our nucs.  I have never taken deposits before but I highly recommend doing that for anyone thinking of selling nucs or packages.  There's nothing quite as irritating as someone ordering six or eight nucs and contacting you every other week for two months for updates and then when the nucs are ready to go that person doesn't want them any more.  They got packages instead.  Are we still best Facebook friends after that?  Well of course we are because I'm a nice guy.   

[vadentwin]

I have more orders than I can fill so I don't worry about deposits either. I have a waiting list of people wanting hives.

Its gonna get "cold' again here this weekend so I am going to have a quick peek today before the front comes through.

[vadentwin]

Update on laying worker hive:

The queen did not make it back from her mating flight and we have a laying worker again. I decided to bring this hive back to my home apiary where I can babysit it better. I am usually hesitant to nursing along hives, but I am curious if a laying worker hive can be rescued without dumping. I am confident this hive would have done well if it didn't happen during the winter dearth. Red Maple is firing up here and my other hives are starting to build up as far as brood goes. I'm going to try one more time to right this hive.

[doggoner]

Good luck.

doggoner