Too late to create new queen?

[Stromnessbees]

Guys. Don't be too quick to kill your DLQ. One of mine was laying unfertilised eggs in worker cells for a couple of weeks and then sorted herself out.

Hi ajtony

I am afraid I have to disagree with your there. If my queens don't start to lay eggs within 3 weeks I won't consider breeding from them in the future and if they don't lay properly within 5 weeks they are for the chop, like the one in the photo below.

Some of her (half-) sisters started laying after 2 weeks under the same conditions, they will be considered for future breeding. Queens that take a long time to strart laying would not be able to build up a brodnest in time for winter naturally. They can only survive with the interference of the beekeeper. By keeping them and breeding form them we only perpetuate the problem.

Doris

[Brian]

Hi Guys, Fantastic response full of good info. My sincere thanks to all and sundry. I decided to give her Majesty a wee while longer and so will check the hive out soon. Will tell all when 'all' is known.
Thanks again
Brian.
PS 'Guys' is non-gender-specific!

[Brian]

Thanks Gerry,
Sounds good to me. Will probably try that if the new frame with eggs doesn't work.
Appreciate!
Brian

[Trog]

I put a frame with eggs into my dubious colony and they've raised a lovely queen cell which was ready to emerge when I last checked. The weather is fine with high pressure dominating so, we'll see! Still drones around and drone brood being raised in the other colonies, so mating should be OK if she gets a move on.

[Brian]

Hi Guys,
I am pleased to report said hive now has an active queen tho' tis early days yet. We'll see.Thanks for all the input.
Brian

[Calum]

Had a nail biter myself this weekend. Found a hive with drones in it still (unusual here just now). Checked - no queen - probably a victim of the formic acid treatment.
Luckily I left the bees in a queen raising box when I removed the last queen, so I still had a young queen up my slieve (they raised a replacement)....
That will be standard practice from now on for me. The lineage will not be so good but better to have a couple in hand..

[Brian]

From Brian with thanks to all those who helped with advice = Seems I have a good working queen now (late September). I have been very fortunate. Thanks to all. Brian