No eggs and no queen cells

[Rob55]

My hive swarmed almost 6 weeks ago however it does not seem to have raised a mated queen. There are no eggs or brood and I inserted a test frame of eggs 4 days ago, it is now larvae/capped brood but no queen cells have been started.

Any ideas what to do next?

 

[oliver90owner]

She will likely eventually lay and most likely a drone layer, but maybe not.

Your choice - wait or replace.

 

[enrico]

Consider combining if you can find the duff queen but my advice......she will start laying.

 

[Queens59]

Wait another week or so - they seem to take longer this year to mate and lay...maybe in 10 days give another frame...the smell may spark her off.

 

[For want of a better word]

Confine a queen in another colony to a frame for 24hrs, she lays eggs
release her
after two days put frame with eggs into you hopelessly queenless colony... if it is they will have best chance of raising a new queen.
Sticking any old frame of brood in as a test frame is risking it as you have no idea of the age of the eggs!... may be they are more than..>>3 days old?

 

[For want of a better word]

a queen confining cage can be bent up from an old punched qe.. do not use a wire one as they are totally useless!

 

[davnig]

Confine a queen in another colony to a frame for 24hrs, she lays eggs
release her
after two days put frame with eggs into you hopelessly queenless colony... if it is they will have best chance of raising a new queen.
Sticking any old frame of brood in as a test frame is risking it as you have no idea of the age of the eggs!... may be they are more than..>>3 days old?

if they're more than 3 days old they won't be eggs (unless they're dead!). Best to put a frame with a mix of eggs/young larva, or just a square of comb cut out - less stress on older bees to feed a whole brood frame

 

[For want of a better word]

if they're more than 3 days old they won't be eggs (unless they're dead!). Best to put a frame with a mix of eggs/young larva, or just a square of comb cut out - less stress on older bees to feed a whole brood frame

GOSH... I really MUST do some of those BBKA modules... then I can be pedantic too ?

 

[richardbees]

Rob,
Suggest you leave it another week - you've already carried out what I consider the most reliable test for Queenrightness, and also illustrated why it's wise to keep a minimum of 2 hives so you've got access to that vital frame of eggs..
good luck,
Richard

 

[Rob55]

Surely at 6 weeks it is looking BLEAK? Any easy way of finding the queen to squish her?