Laying workers/failed queen? and queen cells?

[TryingToLetThemBee]

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When bees are desperately queenless, how they can think that they have Queen already? That is the old fairytale, that hive has worker Queen.

Bees are desperate and they try to rear queen from drone larva.

- That was what I hoped to find out when I posted the question: ie The presence of queen cells doesn't tell you that they have a queen which laid fertilised eggs in there at some point - or indeed any queen at all.

- What does a royally fed drone look like? "King Bee"? - or portly "Prince Regent Bee" perhaps!

(Many thanks for answers to original question and advice. Glad I asked, as the thread has very interesting and useful information!)

I had a truly obscene "QC" raised on a drone larva. I have no idea what His Royal Highness looked like but the cell was a full 5 cm long. Due to the slower development I suppose.

 

[Fritillary]

One of the 'queen cells' here was bizarrely long too - but 5cm has it beat! (Odd length obviously an indication that All Is Not Right within.)

 

[Finman]

I had a truly obscene "QC" raised on a drone larva. I have no idea what His Royal Highness looked like but the cell was a full 5 cm long. Due to the slower development I suppose.

I have seen those drone larva cells quite much. Nothing to wonder in them.

There is a virus, which make normal Queen cells douple long.

 

[Tawny Owl]

I don't have much experience of drone laying in colonies but seem to have 2 hives doing it this year.

I took a gamble and put in a mated queen into the first to see what would happen. She has been accepted but not laying yet. I figure that's the major hurdle over. I faffed about so long that the bees are dieing from old age though so as she was looking like she might be last bee standing I put in a frame of mature brood from elsewhere today, oh and fed them (figured they might live longer if they don't have to fly). Good idea?

Given the relative success on that colony I'm trying it the second one. Wonder if we can get enough experience to form a scientific opinion?