Test frame - will a queenless colony make QC's staight away?

[Tommy Tip Top]

On Tuesday last week I put a frame of eggs into a 'queenless colony'.Today (5 days later), the bees have not started any emergency cells - does this mean there is a queen which I have missed in the colony already?

[MrHappy]

What stage are the eggs in the frame you gave them? I THINK they build up the queen cell when the cells are in the middle of the larva phase. I've put in a frame of 30 eggs and 8 days later they finally started building the queen cells.

I also think if they have a laying worker they won't make queen cells.

[gunter62]

Queens are raised from larva that have just recently hatched. Eggs hatch in about 3 1/2 days. If you placed eggs in the hive 5 days ago, the bees should have started queencells if they needed them. Since they did not build any cells, you probably have a queen in that colony.

If you are still concerned because of lack of queen presence, give them another frame of brood/eggs and repeat in another week. A frame of brood/eggs added 3 eeeks in a row usually resolves queenless issues.

[gunter62]

Queens are raised from larva that have just recently hatched. Eggs hatch in about 3 1/2 days. If you placed eggs in the hive 5 days ago, the bees should have started queencells if they needed them. Since they did not build any cells, you probably have a queen in that colony.

If you are still concerned because of lack of queen presence, give them another frame of brood/eggs and repeat in another week. A frame of brood/eggs added 3 weeks in a row usually resolves queenless issues.