[karenarnett]

If I want to test for presence/absence of queen by placing a frame of eggs in a hive, will the bees make emergency cells with the new eggs if a virgin queen is in the hive? I don't want the bees to make new queen but just to test for the presence of a queen, and to prevent laying workers IF the hive is indeed queenless. If it is queenless I'd remove the queen cell and place a mated queen, so as not to lose another month of brood production. What happens when there is a virgin queen in the hive? (Since supposedly virgin queens do not produce queen pheromone as do mated queens.)

 

[beemandan]

If there is a virgin queen they will not make emergency cells.

 

[Vance G]

The lack of cells means you have a queen. Leave the brood to help the colony until your new queen is laying.

 

[Michael Bush]

http://bushfarms.com/beespanacea.htm

 

[karenarnett]

Nice article. Thank you.

 

[psm1212]

(Since supposedly virgin queens do not produce queen pheromone as do mated queens.)

Virgin queens do produce a small amount of Queen Mandibular Pheromone. This QMP helps drones find virgin queens in the drone congregation areas. However, a virgin does not produce as much QMP as a mated queen.