Laying Workers (083)

If you have a colony of honey bees, chances are, at some point, some year, that colony will become queenless. If you do not realize it and the bees are unsuccessful at re-queening themselves, there is a pretty good chance, your colony will end up with laying workers.  In this episode, Jim and visiting cohost, Jeff Ott from Beekeeping Today Podcast, talk about laying workers. How can you tell if you have laying workers? The first sign many beekeepers recognize is the appearance of multiple eggs in a single cell. Not only are there multiple eggs, but they are not centered in the bottom of the cell, and haphazardly laid. There are other signs too, that are discussed in this episode.  Also discussed are the options you can take as a beekeeper and what you can expect for the future of that colony. Laying workers is a tough management challenge for a beekeeper with no easy solution. Listen today as we discuss the problem and the management approaches you can consider.  Watch a special Honey Bee Obscura VideoMoment on YouTube about Laying Workers, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0QWZ2Ob3tM We hope you enjoyed today's episode. Please follow or subscribe today and leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you! ___________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus, original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Copyright © 2022 by Growing Planet Media, LLC