Advice please following test frame

I hived a caught swarm sometime in July and waited and waited for eggs and brood, but nothing, so duly checked through and no sign of HM. Added a frame of eggs from the hive next door and they proceeded to make queen cells, the one I left was charged, lovely and fat and was duly sealed on the next inspection (the other 2 I had knocked down).
Left them to it for over 2 weeks, had a look in, QC was unoccupied. Left them for 2 more weeks for a proper inspection... no sign of eggs or brood. Waited another week and had another look in on Monday, still no eggs. So fearing the worst, added another test frame of many eggs plus BIAS, had a look in today and no QC's.
I am no expert, but I now guess she must be in there somewhere? I would have preferred at this stage to have found QC's today as the hive next door would have been ideal to unite. What do you fine people suggest next? Wait patiently and hope for a positive result or worst scenario I suppose, an unmated drone layer...HELP!!

I think you need to leave it for longer. We have had a cool spell, any virgin would have been unwilling to leave. See if it warms up this week and maybe start worrying in two weeks time. It can take up to six weeks to mate a virgin depending on many things. There is still time for her to build up the hive before winter. You may have to overwinter in a nuc though. See how it goes.
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The problem you have now is the bees are getting old and without their replacements the colony is doomed, you could shake the bees out and requeen and add a few frames of emerging brood from your other hive if it can spare it, a nuc would be the best box for them now if they have dwindled to that size

I have wondered about the age factor, they have had 2 good frames of brood from next door, need to check if they could spare another. Uniting would have been ideal. Some good weather this week so will be patient for now...
Thanks both for the advice.

Hi Ginger19,
Mated but not laying most probably. The nurse bees will have been busy with the added brood. Have they got stores?

Hi Beeno, yes they have stores, had a feeder on - they have been drawing out foundation. I think I will put them into a Nuc as they only cover 5 frames and they may be struggling temperature wise...

Hi Ginger19, Well, my next question is going to be... have HM got room to lay?

Yes mate, stopped feeding weeks ago - they were bringing more than enough in anyway -the stores are in an arc on the top of the frames, all looks right apart from the lack of eggs and brood...

Hi again Ginger,
Sounds promising to me, I bet you have polished cells there as well, she is just waiting for some good weather. It's an enrico!

Hope so, fingers crossed...will have a look after the weekend...cheers

Ginger19 said:

I have wondered about the age factor, they have had 2 good frames of brood from next door

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Try to make sure any frames you give them contain a lot of (mostly) capped brood. It means there is less work for the recipient colony, and the adult bees can continue foraging.

I have wondered about the age factor

Clearly you need to read up (not just 'wonder about') on the appropriate topics.

Bee ageing and why it is far better to add frames of emerging brood in all circumstances of colony reinforcement.

Opening post was about being Q- thereof the frames of eggs.

O/O Maybe you didn't understand when I previously made it clear to stay clear of my posts? I would rather you sat back and watch me make mistakes than come on here with your picky comments.

No real mistakes, just patience required.
Test frame was a good move.
Re-enforce a hive or nuc with sealed brood for obvious reasons.

With 5 frames and this weeks weather you would find the queen fairly easy I would think, isolate her on a frame in a nuc box while you decide, squish and unite or let her get on with it.

My brother Jed D just had a failed unite with a 'queenless' hive, the known queen was killed. I did suggest he wait as everything else was looking good but impatience got to him.

You will find that invariably the bees know what they are doing despite our meddling.

Good luck

Thanks Pete, I can afford to be fairly patient as I have a nuc with this years queen ready to unite if required, that potentially solves one problem. They had another frame of brood this week, would hope to have the answer by the weekend as I don't really have another colony bulging with brood.
I think part of the problem may be due to me restricting the entrance right down to 2 bee spaces. The wasps were hammering this hive earlier last month, I had a feeder on and it must have been like Fort Knox just for her getting out. I had worried she had gone on a mating flight and not found her way back, although the test frame indicates she is still there...the entrance is more open now.

She's off and running at long last. Had a quick peek today and there is a good brood pattern. It remains to be seen if they are workers or drones. My fingers are crossed that she got mated!

Great news Ginger. Fingers crossed for worker brood.