# Queenless hive but no queen cells **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [August 21, 2022, 8:08am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/queenless-hive-but-no-queen-cells/33497 "2022-08-21T08:08:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JasonF233](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@JasonF233](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/JasonF233)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 8:08am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/queenless-hive-but-no-queen-cells/33497/1 "2022-08-21T08:08:22Z")
One of my hives has no queen. Plenty of worker bees which are filling the brood box with honey & pollen & are not making any queen cells. There are no eggs, no larvae etc. Haven’t inspected for several weeks (winter) Is this hive salvageable? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Eva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@Eva](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Eva)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 8:47am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/queenless-hive-but-no-queen-cells/33497/2 "2022-08-21T08:47:21Z")
You can salvage the hive by adding a frame of brood from another colony that includes eggs and young larvae, so the workers can make a new queen, or by buying a mated queen. Out of curiosity was there any sealed brood? Did everything else seem okay with the colony, pest & disease wise? Any clues as to why the queen presumably died? ---
**Author:** ![JeffH](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/jeffh/32/7192_2.png) [@JeffH](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/JeffH)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/queenless-hive-but-no-queen-cells/33497/3 "2022-08-21T20:52:11Z")
I agree with Eva, definitely add a frame of brood containing worker eggs. You need to do this with a degree of urgency, so as to avoid a laying worker from developing. A ‘laying worker’ is more challenging to deal with, so therefore should be avoided where possible. The first frame of brood doesn’t always result in emergency queens. Inspect after 6 days to see if the colony is producing some. If not, add another frame. Keep doing this every 6 days until the colony eventually builds them. ---
**Author:** ![chau06](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/chau06/32/25515_2.png) [@chau06](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/chau06)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 12:46am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/queenless-hive-but-no-queen-cells/33497/4 "2022-08-22T00:46:41Z")
Not sure what the status is for shipping queens in Australia but you might also consider ordering a mated/laying queen, especially, of course, if you don’t have other hives to steal frames of brood from. ---
**Author:** ![aussiemike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/aussiemike/32/14581_2.png) [@aussiemike](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/aussiemike)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 2:32am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/queenless-hive-but-no-queen-cells/33497/5 "2022-08-22T02:32:55Z")
Jason is in QLD, so the NSW restrictions don’t apply if he buys a local queen. It’s not quite spring, but he might be lucky. ---
**Author:** ![JeffH](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/jeffh/32/7192_2.png) [@JeffH](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/JeffH)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 10:20am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/queenless-hive-but-no-queen-cells/33497/6 "2022-08-22T10:20:54Z")
Jason did say “one of my hives”, which is what prompted my reply, and possibly @Eva 's reply as well. My reply is exactly what I would do myself. A queenless colony will never reject a frame of brood, however they can reject a new queen, especially because we don’t know how long the colony has been queenless. ---
**Author:** ![JasonF233](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@JasonF233](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/JasonF233)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 12:14pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/queenless-hive-but-no-queen-cells/33497/7 "2022-08-22T12:14:38Z")
Thank you everyone for replying. I’ve just transferred a frame from one of my other 2 hives, with plenty of eggs & young larva & will inspect on day 6. I think it’s been a while since it’s been queenless, possibly may be a laying worker bee as JeffH suggested possible. There was some occasional capped drone appearing brood which now makes me suspicious. Either way I’ll persist and possibly add a second frame at day 6. ---
**Author:** ![JeffH](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/jeffh/32/7192_2.png) [@JeffH](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/JeffH)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/queenless-hive-but-no-queen-cells/33497/8 "2022-08-22T20:55:29Z")
Hi Jason, the occasional capped drone brood could be the last of the brood to emerge, because drones take 4 days longer to emerge than workers. Plus they are probably in drone comb. A way to tell a laying worker is drone brood in worker cells. You said that you didn’t see any eggs. That indicates to me that a laying worker hasn’t commenced laying yet.