Howard:

  When  a hive becomes queenless for any reason, the bees  then produce
laying workers.  As you know, queens are fed "royal Jelly" and actually
mature in  less number of days than the workers. When there is no queen, the
otherwise worker larva are fed to make them lay.  This gives the hive some
sense of security, but as I understand it, these bees are sterile.  The
beekeeper, on noting this phenomenon, needs to requeen the colony promptly.
Laying workers do not forage.

  I am not sure just how many laying workers may be present, but surely
quite a few.

  Others may have answers to your other questions.

  EDW



  EDW-----

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