Hello all bee-lovers !
 
Laying workers are really one pitches in an apiary, especially if you make breeding which supports the production of this kind of colonies. If you destroy the colony, the laying workers are completely able to fly and go into a nuc and kill your very young queens in one or the other nuclei less better protected by the few pheromones of this young queen.
 
I know a means which I use since a score of years. Always successfully. The only occasion where the introduced queen was killed, another queen was present.
 
I never published the process. I know pertinently that someone as Mr James C Bach would find that -my article, tests and any results would be said to be ANECDOTAL-.  OK, I know, but I have no time, no money (no grant) and I do not want any to carry out a series of complicated experiments (to only create several colonies tests and controls comprising some laying workers) to prove what I know: IT WORKS and even: **it works each time, without fail**: I am certain of it!
 
Moreover, the process is extremely simple and does not require any complicated hardware (a cage with queen and a few grams of candy and some absorbing paper, I use these pieces of paperboard whom one places under beer glasses), no handling of frames nor of bees.
 
OK, I never published them, It will be said to be anecdotal, but IT REALLY WORKS. I don't like it, but today, I could make an exception. Because of Mr. Bach, or in spite of him!  It's NOT AN ARTICLE, only the process description !
 
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Requeening a laying worker colony ...
MATERIAL:
 
Pay attention please, the process could be changed a little bit. But then without guarantee (anectotic!:-)
 
1/ a **queenless colony** with laying workers.
 
2/ a **laying queen** you removed from his own colony JUST BEFORE this treatment.  Do not use a queen having travelled or blocked in a cage since one day or two.  No matter the qualilies of this queen, BUT it's really better not to use a too young queen, whose laying is not well established (at least 2 months of laying).  I use some ordinary one year old queens whom I kept for this only use (queens giving bees to create nucs).
 
3/ a **queen cage** with some candy (not to much!)
 
4/ some **absorbing paper** (two beer paperboards) which one will impregnate with the next ...
 
5/ **alcohol from 10 to 40%** : not much of importance (anecdotal): that goes with simple alcohol, but that also goes with Gin, Whisky and other Bourbons (One can also keep some drops of them for the operator, but that is not really essential to succeed)  :-)
 
It is all and within the reach of everyone!
 
 
METHOD: I say what **I** am doing !
 
Generally work at the end of the day. (But *always* try to work the bees at the end of the day).
 
1/ Know the colony IS QUEENLESS : if it's not this case, no problem : it'll end in failure.
 
2/ Put the laying, established, queen in the cage, with an open way but closed with about 10-15 mm of candy. There can be workers from the giving queen colony (4-5 step more), it can not be. This cage in my pocket.
 
3/ Prepare two beer paperboards (absorbing paper) in a small plastic bag. Pour 20 to 30 ml of the choosed alcohol in the bag of plastic and let alcohol well impregnate the paper. (Don't drink the rest now, it's not finished !)
 
4/ Open the queenless colony, not to much smoke please (never).
 
5/ Deposit the impregnated paperboards on the top of the frames, near the brood area.
 
6/ Wedge the cage between two brood frames and between the paperboards.
 
7/ Close again the hive. It is really all.
 
8/ It's possible to view the queen on her frame the next day but I prefer two days later. After a week of normal queen laying, you'll be able to do no matter what with this colony. But act without forgetting that it only remains very little of young workers in this hive.
 
Copyright 1998 Jean-Marie Van Dyck (Belgium)
 
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Test this process and you will be able to speak about it while giving your sources.
 
PS.
When I do not have Whisky or other Cognac, I use 30 ml of 27% ethyl alcohol (Why 27%, because it is the concentration obtained by mixing approximately a quarter of alcohol with three quarters of distilled water). But it is worse for the tasting. :-)
 
Jean-Marie
 
F U N D P  -  Facultes Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix
61, rue de Bruxelles  B-5000 Namur  (BELGIUM)
tel +32(81) 72 4234   fax +32(81) 72 4272
 
Lat.Long. : N:50.30' E:04.56'  -  Alt. : 200 m  -  North sea : 200 km
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Jean-Marie Van Dyck <[log in to unmask]>
 
B.P. 102
B-5000 Namur  (Belgique-Belgium)
 
tel +32(81) 72 4234   fax +32(81) 72 4272
 
Lat.Long. : N:50.30' E:04.56'  -  Alt. : 200 m  -  North sea : 200 km
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