Failure To Communicate

[Michael Palmer]

Isn't this a fine mess.

[Lil Grain of Rice]

Is that "laying worker"?

[PerryBee]

Classic example of just that Lil Grain.
Perry

[Ravenseye]

I've seen too much of that this year!

[BEES4U]

That photo has to be the best one ever posted of laying workers.
Did someone get a new camera?
I hope that the photo was not taken of a recent queen purchase.

Ernie

[deknow]

michael, i think that is more like, "failure to copulate"...or "falure to make it home from copulation" ...assuming this was a mating nuc.

deknow

[JBG]

HA! Fine photo, better than any book I've seen.

[swabby]

Thanks for posting that picture. Wish I could see that good if I were looking into my frames.Great capture.

[deknow]

ok mike...your next assignment is to get one of the "snowflake" that laying workers sometimes leave in queen cups

deknow

[RayMarler]

I wish I could see that good with my glasses on!
Nice pic Michael.
I'm fortunate, none of that in my yard this year.

[Michael Palmer]

ok mike...your next assignment is to get one of the "snowflake" that laying workers sometimes leave in queen cups

deknow

Snowflake??

[Michael Palmer]

That photo has to be the best one ever posted of laying workers.
Did someone get a new camera?
I hope that the photo was not taken of a recent queen purchase.

Ernie

New last year. Cost 120 queens. Nikon D-300/nikon 105mm, f 2.8 macro

Laying workers in mating nuc. If the nuc doesn't get a laying queen by the time all the brood hatches, laying workers usually develop. You get 2 chances with cells. After that, it's tough to get a call accepted. I usually give a cell the third time, because a nuc with laying workers will accept a cell...sometimes. If they reject again, the nuc gets united.

[WCMN]

So can unite a laying worker nuc with a Queen right nuc without a problem?......Randy

[Deeptime]

So, exactly how did you take that pic?

[NasalSponge]

It must be photo shopped!8)

[Michael Palmer]

So can unite a laying worker nuc with a Queen right nuc without a problem?......Randy

Si se puede...yes you can.

[Michael Palmer]

So, exactly how did you take that pic?

No photoshop. 105 macro with extension tubes. Could have been better, but I need accellerator with my super fast 26.4 internet speed...Without, it might take a week to upload.

[Ross]

Somebody needs bookmark this one for beginners. It's the best way I have seen to explain laying workers.

[Michael Palmer]

Don't know what your "Snowflake" is Deknow. But, what I have seen is miltiple eggs in queen cups. Really a dead givaway. Sometimes, laying workers are a bit difficult to diagnose. Sure, there are a few cells with multiple eggs. New queens will do that, too. When you see a queen cup like this, in a colony that might have gone to laying workers, you can be sure.

[deknow]

yes, almost.

when erik and markus were out here, we went through our hives in new brantree. i saw what looked like a snowflake in a queencell, it was, of course, a ton of eggs. the mass was (predictibly) denser in the middle and fanned out at the extremities. they both knew what it was immediately...i had seen laying workers before, but never that.

deknow