> including the method for saving a hive with laying workers ...

A method from 'the old world":

Materials needed:
- A laying queen taken from her colony a few minutes before you start the operation. Don't use a queen that you just received by post or was staying in a queen cage since a few days. It's best to take an older queen or one laying since more as a month.
- A queen cage with some sugar paste (not much).
- A plastic bag.
- Two beer coasters or absorbent paper.
- Some alcohol of 10 to 40%. (gin, whiskey, brandy, ... is also fine).

Method:
- Perform the operation at the end of the day (for example after 18 h.).
- Put the laying queen in a cage, close the cage with sugar paste. 
- Pour 20 to 30 ml of alcohol in the plastic bag and put the beer coasters in the bag. Let the coasters or paper absorb the alcohol.
- Open the colony with the laying workers, use a little bit of smoke if needed.
- Place the coasters on top of the windows, on both sides of the brood (photo added).
- Put the cage with the queen between two frames (and thus also between the beer coasters).
- Close the hive, the work is done.
- Wait two days and check your colony.
- A week after the queen started laying, you can do with the colony whatever you want, but keep in mind that few young bees are present.

Kind regards,

Ghislain De Roeck,
Belgium.

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