Laying Worker

[Marshall]

What does a laying worker look like. Can you pick them out?

[NasalSponge]

Just like their 50,000 sisters, the only way to know which would be to see them do it.

[Rick 1456]

I had a small LW hive to deal with today. Dumped the bees in front of a strong hive. I wanted to see if I could spot a LW either by physical difference or other bees behavior towards them. I was thinking that since their ovaries have developed(one would think) they might show a difference. I watched for a half hour. Acouple of small groups here and there but no phys. diff. They let the other bees in with no trouble I could see. Oh well

[stripstrike]

I had a small LW hive to deal with today. Dumped the bees in front of a strong hive. I wanted to see if I could spot a LW either by physical difference or other bees behavior towards them. I was thinking that since their ovaries have developed(one would think) they might show a difference. I watched for a half hour. Acouple of small groups here and there but no phys. diff. They let the other bees in with no trouble I could see. Oh well

Same thing here a couple minutes ago. A nuc went queenless and I was tired of dealing with them so shook off each frame, removed the nux box and slid the stand over towards a strong colony. They seemed to be allowed in through the upper entrance with no issues. Couldn't see a laying working if you paid me money.

[Rick 1456]

Like NS said.
A little more research suggests they aren't bustin loose with eggs. Likely more than a few LW involved. Perhaps when they get to the entrance of the new big hive, they promise to never lay another egg

[psfred]

You will have dozens or hundreds of laying workers in a laying worker hive, it's not as though a single bee becomes a queen replacement. They don't lay very many eggs and don't make enough QMP each to have the bees act like one is a queen, either, but together make the bees think they are queenright.

Shaking them out does nothing but spread them out amongst other hives, where they are either refused entry or have their egg laying and QMP production shut down by open brood pheremone.

Peter