[challenger]

I have a few mating nucs I was trying to keep going while I took a break from queen rearing due to some personal issues that need my full attention. I had 1 with laying workers and as an experiment I took 4 queen cells I had as extras and put them in the mating nuc. That was 6 days ago and I really did not think putting these cells in would help stop the laying worker however I took a look today and there is a nice queen in the nuc. I also saw another dead at the bottom so I don't know if this live queen is accepted or are they just tolerating her until she mates. I was not able to examine the comb for new eggs today but I may tomorrow. Any advice is appreciated as to if she might have taken this hive as her own.
Thanks-Howard

 

[sqkcrk]

I would think that the dead queen was dispatched by the live one. They probably both emerged at almost the same time. I'd leave it alone for another week and check for eggs.

 

[Michael Palmer]

I'd wait for 16 days after adding cells to check for eggs.

It is very likely that the laying worker mating nuc will accept a queen cell. I see it every year in my queen rearing. An article in ABJ a few years ago showed that about 75% of laying worker colonies will accept a queen cell. Makes sense. Laying worker colonies attempt to raise queen cells. I often see these with multiple eggs in the cup. Adding a ripe cell is playing along with their nature.

 

[BoTBees]

OK if u have a laying worker that's very bad for the hive. the laying workers or drones have never left the hive, so they don't know were they are. the only way to for sure get rid of the problem take the hive about 100 yards from the original location, shake every last one of those bees out, quickly return to the original location and place the hive back. the next day introduce a new queen. you're hive should be back to normal very soon. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!