I had a similar situation many years ago.  I installed my packages per the normal method, and one week later went back and picked up the empty queen cages.  All had been released from their mailing cages.  The candy end, punctured with a nail, was clean as a whistle.
   
  About the second week, I went back through my hives to see how the queens were doing.  One package (out of several that went as planned) raised a queen cell.  I ordered marked queens and could not find the queen.  There was no brood.  Just this one queen cell.  And of course, not a lot of bees.
   
  My best guess is that they allowed the queen to lay one egg before they dispatched her to the realm of the dead queens.  I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to spend more money on another queen (given the hope I could get one at that late date).  So I just let the colony raise that one queen cell.
   
  The hive came around, though slowly and it never did produce anything that summer.
   
  I've never had another instance like this again, though as I've matured in my practices, I've given up ordering packages.  I'm now raising my own queens and making summer splits after the honey flow.
   
  Grant
  Jackson, MO

		
---------------------------------
Blab-away for as little as 1¢/min. Make  PC-to-Phone Calls using Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.

-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and  other info ---