[Barrod]

Yesterday I checked one of my hives and I have a couple of questions.

I have a 10 frame deep brood box with 2 medium supers(9 frames) and no queen excluder.

The deep brood box looked good with a tight brood pattern, plenty of eggs and capped larvae. Tons of pollen and some honey. I found the queen in this box.

Box # 2 had honey stored in outside frames but frames 3,4,5,6,& 7 were ALL Drone brood (looked like a classic case of a laying worker)

Box #3 had honey on the outer frames but fresh laid eggs, larvae and capped brood in the middle frames.

I saw no queen cells in the hive.
The girls were extremely aggressive but are normally gentle. weather was sunny 75*
I last checked this hive about 4 weeks ago with no problems found...

The queen doesn't appear to be failing but I'm baffled about all the frames of Drone brood.

My questions are: DO I have a problem such as a failing queen or a laying worker(or both)?
Do I cull all this Drone brood or let it be?

 

[kiwiBee]

I dont know what sort of comb you have in your second box that has all the drone brood in it, but It sounds like you have a honey super with drone comb and no excluder so the queen has been up there and laid it out for you.
have a look at the empty frames in that box are the cells drone size?
If you have a good brood pattern in the bottom box it's not likely to be a failing queen and laying workers are in queenless hives and you have a queen.
Cheers
Kiwi

 

[Michael Bush]

I would describe a "classic case of laying worker" as scattered brood (a larvae here and there) a few domed caps on them, and lots of multiple eggs.

I would describe all drone caps not a lot of multiple eggs and not scattered as a "classic case of a drone laying queen".

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm

 

[be lote]

i was in a hurry an got a case of shallow foundation. well a while later
i cracked hives an dern if there wont shallows perty as could be solid
drone cells. i called the state bee man an he came out scrathed his head an
ask to see the foundatoin. laughed an tole me they was doin what i tole em to do an next time wear your glasses when you go shoppin. i grabed the wroung foundation. didnt have no mite problem thou.
if the queen dont get to em theyll work for honey.

i dont think foundation is your problem