I saw the same thing early this Spring, and it was
explained to me thus:

It has to do with, as you say, "not enough bees ... to
keep up with the queen". She's laying eggs faster than
they can prepare cells for her, so when she finishes
laying in all the prepared cells, she starts over. It
will take awhile for the number of workers to catch up
with her laying capacity -- perhaps you can add some
young bees from another hive?

Eugene Makovec
Kirkwood, MO

--- randy oliver <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> They were
> weak nucs, with not enough 
> bees to cover enough brood cells to keep up with the
> queen.

> ... laying up
> to six eggs in a cell on 
> the periphery of the broodnest. > 
> Randy Oliver 

******************************************************
* Full guidelines for BEE-L posting are at:          *
* http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm  *
******************************************************