Help virgin queen hatched 3 weeks ago and still no eggs

[Big robert]

The v/q hatched 3 weeks ago still no eggs I can't find her for love nor money it's a massive colony what's my best plan of attack there's no brood at all in the hive

 

[Bear]

You could try adding a queen cup with an egg (either artificially or on a frame) and if the cup gets fed / extended then your queen-less. (Bird could have ate her on a mating flight) if the bees ignore the eggs then you do have a queen present.

 

[Wingy]

Doesn’t have to be a Q cup with an egg, just put in a test frame BIAS & eggs. If they make emergency Q cells you are Q- if not she is there somewhere.
Just had this scenario with 2 hives, 1 drew Q cells 1 hasn’t

 

[Big robert]

But if there's a unmated q there what next will it destroy the cell

 

[Bear]

No the virgin queen won’t destroy an egg but the attendant bees will ignore it so that’ll stop it becoming a queen.

 

[Bear]

I did have this problem last year and I think I did that 3 times I.e made up a queen cell, the bees ignored it.

 

[Barbarian]

A massive colony could be your problem.

The colony has plenty of bees. It doesn't need more bees. When the colony needs replacement bees, the Q will be encouraged to start laying. A new Q in a small colony is likely to start laying sooner.

Your new Q in the massive colony could be encouraged to start laying by weakening the colony. One way could be to move the colony to a new position.
Putting a new BB on the original stand will collect the flying bees. A frame with eggs could go into the new BB to get Q cells.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Still plenty of time for the queen to mate, and clattering around in the hive looking for her is not going to help. The more populous the hive the less haste they seem to be in to get her mated.
Deep breath, leave the hive alone for a couple more weeks.
Leave well alone.

 

[Swarm]

Three weeks is no time really, give them another couple of weeks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don't even bother looking in the hive until four weeks have passed

 

[Swarm]

Yep. I have three to have a look at, emerged around May 2nd. I'll have a swift look for eggs in June sometime.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've been waiting into a 5th week for a queen to start laying in a big colony.. As others have said leave well alone for another couple of weeks