17 days too soon to see a laying queen?

[Paul McCarty]

I made a split off a hive on the 27th of April. They capped off their queen cell on the 30th. Today, the 13th of May, I opened them up to feed them and found one of the frames with new comb and multiple eggs in the bottom of the cells. Did not see a queen, but I did not look that hard either, as a rainstorm was blowing in.

It almost looks to me like someone has been laying over and over in the same patch of cells, like a new queen, only I didn't expect her so soon. Is it this possible? I am pretty sure 17 days is not long enough for laying workers, and these eggs were on the bottom not the cell walls. I have had laying workers before, and don't remember them looking like this.

I will open it up again in a few days to see how they get capped.

[Michael Bush]

>I made a split off a hive on the 27th of April. They capped off their queen cell on the 30th. Today, the 13th of May, I opened them up to feed them and found one of the frames with new comb and multiple eggs in the bottom of the cells. Did not see a queen, but I did not look that hard either, as a rainstorm was blowing in.

I would expect her to emerge on the 8th and be laying by the 22nd (possibly sooner and possibly a week later).
A new queen often lays double eggs on the bottom.