How many weeks after becoming laying workers are they expected to produce eggs?

The expected percentage of laying workers that will produce eggs after becoming established is 10%. Laying workers, which are typically older female bees that begin laying eggs in the absence of a queen, go through a process where they adapt to this role. After several weeks of pheromone influence and changes in their reproductive systems following the loss of the queen, they start to lay eggs. The development of laying workers and their productivity is significantly impacted by factors such as the colony's overall health, the presence of brood, and environmental conditions.

In a healthy colony where a queen is absent, it may take some time for these workers to begin laying viable eggs. However, once they reach this stage, they commonly will not lay as many eggs as a queen, and typically only a portion (around 10%) will be active in egg production at that point. This statistic reflects the general dynamics of worker bee physiology and reproduction, and helps beekeepers understand the limitations of relying on laying workers in a queenless environment.