<<<The problem is I find I can't find the queen during my hurried and distracted
inspections>
Put any supers on other hives, uniting with a sheet of newspaper.  The bees
in them will not infect the other bees. Usually all aggression disappears as
soon as the bees are separated from their queen.  If on a double brood
chamber drive them down to one with heavy smoke.  Put the empty brood
chamber on top of the supers and let any brood work out.  Move the full
broodchamber several yards to a new place in the apiary.  In a couple of
days the fliers will have returned to the next hive to the old site and you
will have a much weakened stock.  So far you have not had the hassle of
going through the combs.  Now working quickly split the stock into two and
move them again to new sites.>>>
 
Apologies all round. I was interrupted at this point and later sent it
accidentally.  I continue ---
This may seem long-winded but total time is negligible.  The queen is now in
a five comb nucleus and most of the older bees (usually the aggressive ones)
have gone. Wait a week. Take a quick glance in one.  If you find eggs you
have the queen.  If you find emergency cells you know the queen is in the
other one.  All you have to do now is to look through a five comb nucleus of
young bees.  If you want to weaken it still further move it again and wait
two days.  The queen should now stick out like a sore thumb.
I have neighbours and if any new stock shows aggression I have to get rid of
it with the least  possible chance of upset.  Searching for a queen in a
strong aggressive stock would be asking for trouble.
Having killed the queen  and destroyed the emergency cells you can put all
back together and requeen or share it out to finish the brood.  Usually all
aggression disappears within a day of the death of the queen.
Sid P.
_________________________________________________________________
Sid Pullinger                    Email :  [log in to unmask]
36, Grange Rd                Compuserve:  [log in to unmask]
Alresford
Hants SO24 9HF
England