'Stale' Virgin Queen

[melon]

Little question to those who know.....
If a virgin queen has failed to mate and is too late, would the bees recognise that she won't be any use and rear emergency queen cell from a frame of eggs....or would they not, knowing they already have a queen and hoping she'll lay one day?
I am in the same situation as many others....and waiting patiently for the new queens to start laying! Thanks.
Melon

 

[MuswellMetro]

she will lay but they will be unfertilized eggs so wall to wall drone brood if not mated

all my AS new queens have been late laying this year. All at least 5 week after the split

even new bought in queens have taken time to settle, must i think be lack of forage ( due to drought in SE not rain[VID][/VID])

 

[melon]

I understand that she will evebtually lay drone brood. But would the workers not realise that this queen isn't going to be any good and hence make queen cells from frame of rggs, or arn't they that clever?

 

[Bad Boy Bee]

A test frame can be used to find out if no Queen is present. A new Queen, drone layer or otherwise will not be replaced.

 

[Midland Beek]

Melon: Bees aren't that clever.

You typically find with DLQ's that the workers after a while 'work out' something is wrong and try to supersede her. Failing that, they might kill her and then even raise emergency queen cells. Nothing comes, of course, from their attempts to raise a new queen.

 

[huntsman666]

When did you last have daytime temperatures over 20C?

Count back and allow seven days.

Everything is behind this year.

 

[melon]

I am being patient....just wondering if a test frame is any use when there is a queen present, who may be of use.
Thanks for your replies and help, all.
Melon.

 

[george]

Short answer no . A test frame wont tell you much if a queen is present mated or not .

I would wait a little longer to see if she starts to lay , if she does and its drone brood only , find her , squash her and then put a frame in . Or better yet a frame with q cell attached .

Have you seen a queen mated or unmated in the hive ? Thats your first job really , double check to see if a queen in any shape or form is present . If you are 100% sure there is not then the problems really mount up and you may get a laying worker . This is a little more tricky to solve .

G