Queenless / Queen Introduction Question

[The Poot in Somerset]

Hi all,
I would appreciate your advice on the timing aspects of this scenario-

Hive 4
May 31st found queen cells sealed and unsealed on four frames.
Transferred one frame and queen cell to a nuc, broke others down leaving one cell.

June 7th found queen cell with hinged cap indicating a virgin had emerged.

June 29th colony more defensive/aggressive with no sign of queen activity

July 7th as June 29th. I am assuming the virgin (if emerged by June 7th) has failed to mate or return? Queen now laying in the nuc from May 31st with capped brood.

Hive 4 now queenless since May but still has loads of bees - more than my other colonies, which all seemed to have brood breaks through the June gap.

Is it high time to introduce a queen or would you continue to wait and see if a virgin is in the hive? I haven’t tried a frame of eggs and brood owing to the lack of it in the other hives through this period. I could collect a queen tomorrow and hope an introduction succeeds.

What would you advise please?

 

[enrico]

Sorry but a test fame has to be the way to go. Do you have no eggs in other hives?
E

 

[MerryBee]

Yes a test frame, and you need to get on with it PDQ.
The hive may have been queenless for at least 5 weeks so laying workers will be your next problem if you dont act soon. A test frame should not only tell you if you have a queen , but also the pheromones from the developing brood will help to prevent laying workers.

 

[sjt]

I have a similar situation but my source of eggs from my other hives would take at least 40 mins to transfer from one apiary site to the queenless site. What's the best way to do this?

 

[Ian123]

Just wrap in a towel on a normal summers day you’ll be fine.

 

[masterBK]

Best to use damp towel as drying out is the main problem as they can stand a drop in temperature for quite a while.

 

[madasafish]

Best to use damp towel as drying out is the main problem as they can stand a drop in temperature for quite a while.

Clingfilm and towel works well