[pgayle]

I know they quit feeding her and she quits laying. Is there any information on how long? Just curious.

 

[jonathan]

She usually just slims down and will still be laying a few eggs right up until she leaves.

 

[Michael Bush]

Actually, after observing this several times in the observation hive I would say this:

I don't think they can refuse to feed the queen. She asks, and they feed. What they do is back fill the brood nest so she has no where to lay. When she lays less, she eats less. When she eats less, she shrinks. When she shrinks she can fly. If she can't fly, the swarm can't go. This happens over a period of a couple of weeks. As johathan says, she lays a few eggs up until she leaves, but not very many.

 

[dfortune]

In well managed hives she will barely slow down. If backfilling is allowed to occur for some time, it can bee difficult to find unsealed brood.

 

[Dave1958]

Ok I just went through this. How is the best way to keepnthis from happening and how to create a place to lay for a new queen when its backfilled, especially if its not capped

 

[jonathan]

Give them space up above to move stores around and they will clear the brood nest area themselves.
Alternately you could remove some frames of stores and replace with drawn comb.