Drone layers?

If they're new queens, they either did not mate, or were mated improperly. Drone bees develop from unfertilized eggs, where workers develop from fertilized eggs. So when queens do not properly mate and have not stored sperm with which to fertilize eggs, they can only lay unfertilized eggs, and thus lay only drones. Since your queens are new, this is likely the situation.

When old queens become drone layers, it can be because, though properly mated, they run out of stored sperm and cease to lay fertilized eggs.

I'm new to beekeeping so, take this advice with a grain of salt. I know a very reputable guy who breeds and sells queens - he's been doing it his entire life and his Dad did it before him. I picked up a new queen from him the other day and was curious so, I asked him how did he know the queen had been bred? He said that answer was easy - he pulled her from a nuc that had brood and eggs laid in it. Now I have to admit that his answer made perfect sense to me.:thumbsup: If I were you I'd probably get another supplier for my queens.

Russ

GLOCK said:

What causes drone layers?
I have two hives that seem to have drone laying queens .
Why does this happen?
Both are new queens :scratch:
I guess I should requeen them on SUNDAY .
Are these queens that did not mate?
Thank you.

Click to expand...

Drone laying queens happen for one of a few reasons.
1. Good laying queen didn't get enough sperm while mating and ran out.
2. Virgin queen didn't mate up at all.
3. Virgin queen mated with her own kin and is causing the sex allele gene to be present and only normal drones are viable as the sex allele causes the fertilized egg to become a male instead of a worker female.

Those are the main reasons for drone laying queens that i'm aware of. I've got one myself that's about to turn into a drone layer as she's too lazy to get out and mate up propperly.. She's getting an alcohol bath on monday when my cells are ready.. lol

If a queen mates late (like more then three weeks after emergence) she will be a drone layer.
If a queen runs out of sperm in her spermatheca she will become a drone layer.
If a queen never mates, she never lays...