Lesson 44: Laying Workers and Drone-Laying Queens
When a colony produces only drones, and why that's an emergency
Workers and drones do very different jobs: workers do all the work, and drones do none (lesson 6). A colony that can produce only drones can't replace its workers, and will die out unless you step in. Two problems cause this: laying workers and a drone-laying queen. Both show up as drone brood in worker cells, but they need different fixes.
Why drone brood appears in worker cells
Drones come from unfertilized eggs (lesson 13). A normal, well-mated queen chooses to fertilize most of her eggs. But:
- A queen who is poorly mated, has used up her stored sperm, or was chilled (for example in shipping, which can kill her stored sperm) can only lay unfertilized eggs. She becomes a drone layer.
- Worker bees can't mate at all, so any egg a worker lays is unfertilized and becomes a drone.
Either way, drones get raised in worker-sized cells. Because drones are bigger, their cappings bulge out from the comb, looking like bullets (lesson 35).
Laying workers
Normally the queen's scent keeps workers' ovaries switched off. If a colony stays queenless for a while (usually a few weeks) or has an old queen producing too little pheromone, some workers' ovaries develop and they start laying eggs.
Signs of laying workers: - Several eggs in one cell, sometimes even two larvae in one cell. - Eggs scattered all over the cell (on the walls, not neatly cemented to the bottom). - A disorderly, spotty pattern, with many cells skipped. - Bullet-shaped drone cappings in worker cells, scattered around. - No queen, and usually a small, aging, dwindling population.
At first glance it can look as if there's a queen (there are eggs, after all), but look closely at how the eggs are laid.
Why laying workers are hard to fix: laying-worker colonies usually kill a queen you introduce. The workers act as if they already have one.
What to do (in order of how often it works): 1. Combine it with a queenright colony using the newspaper method (lesson 47). Put the laying-worker colony on top, over a sheet of newspaper, above the strong colony. This is the easiest and usually best fix. A laying-worker colony is usually weak, and combining rarely endangers the good queen below. 2. Try introducing a mated queen in a push-in cage over dark comb with some open honey and a little capped brood (lesson 46). Release her only after about three days, and only if the workers aren't biting the cage. 3. Prevent it: catch queenlessness early and fix it within days (lesson 43).
How it looks:
Laying workers: several eggs per cell, laid all over the cell.
Another view: eggs scattered in the cells instead of one at the bottom.
A drone-laying queen
Signs: there is a queen (you may see her), but most or all of the brood is drone brood in worker cells, often spread throughout the colony, and eggs are laid one per cell, more neatly than laying workers do.
Fix: replace the queen (lessons 45–46). Find and remove the drone-laying queen, then introduce a mated queen. If the colony has dwindled badly, combine it with a queenright colony instead (lesson 47).
A note on new queens
A freshly mated queen sometimes puts more than one egg in a cell for a short time. She usually sorts herself out quickly. Check again in 5 to 10 days; if she's still doing it, replace her.
Telling them apart
| Laying workers | Drone-laying queen | |
|---|---|---|
| Queen present? | No | Yes |
| Eggs per cell | Several, scattered on the walls | Usually one, at the bottom |
| Pattern | Very disorderly, many cells skipped | More regular, but all or mostly drone brood |
| Usual fix | Combine with a queenright colony | Replace the queen |
What to remember
- Drone brood in worker cells (bullet caps) = the colony can't make workers. Act quickly.
- Laying workers: no queen; several eggs per cell, all over the cell. Combine the colony using newspaper; they usually kill introduced queens.
- Drone-laying queen: queen present, one egg per cell, mostly drone brood. Replace her.
- A new queen may double-lay briefly; recheck in 5–10 days.
Quick check
- Why can't a worker bee lay eggs that become workers?
- What's the best fix for a laying-worker colony?
- You see bullet-shaped drone brood in worker cells, one neat egg per cell, and you spot the queen. What's the problem?
Show answers
1. Workers can't mate, so their eggs are unfertilized, and unfertilized eggs become drones. 2. Combine it with a queenright colony using the newspaper method (laying-worker colonies usually kill introduced queens). 3. A drone-laying queen; replace her.
Adapted from: UGA Bee Program, Honey Bee Disorders: Non-infectious Diseases and Pests; NC State Extension, How to Install a Package of Honey Bees (troubleshooting, rev. 2024); Purdue Extension, Advanced Beekeeping (4-H-1059-W), "Colony Troubleshooting"; Penn State Extension, An Introduction to Queen Honey Bee Development (2025); UF/IFAS Extension, Welcome to the Apiary! (4H446).
Photos: laying workers, Audriusa, CC BY-SA 3.0, and Včelařský výkladový slovník, CC BY-SA 4.0 (both via Wikimedia Commons).
Adapted from university Extension sources. Experienced Georgia beekeepers are reviewing these lessons. See something that doesn't match your experience? Tell us.