In a message dated 5/21/00 4:15:25 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

 I saw what
>  looked like queen cells in this hive on the two frames I inspected.  I saw
>  good brood but no queen.
>
>  Should I worry about these "queen cells?"  As a novice, I can't claim to be
>  certain that they were queen cells, but they certainly resembled the
>  pictures in Dadant's "First Lessons in Bee Keeping."  Dadant mentions that
>  supercedure is sometimes a problem in week 3 with package bees.  My
research
>  before buying indicated that York provides quality, well-bred queens and I
>  would hate to lose one so quickly.

    It's pretty common.  Just in case they don't have viable brood to make a
queen from, I'd suggest that you take a frame of open brood, with eggs from
your good hive and give it to the weaker one.  Actually, it can be a frame
where she has just started, if you don't want to weaken them too much. You
only need a handful of eggs. If they immediately make cells from this you'll
know they don't have good brood to work from, as their own queen has failed.

    The weather has been unusually good this spring for mating, in the
southeast, and drones are extremely plentiful.  I haven't been keeping actual
count but I would estimate that between 5 and 10% of this year's queens are
already showing some drone brood in worker cells.  They mated well enough to
get them started, but not enough for sustained production.  My solution:
cells if I have them, otherwise a frame of brood with eggs.

    Queen failure is not only common, but it is growing more common. I can't
say as to the queen breeder being to blame. York's has a good reputation.
There's been some discussion lately in some bee circles about more and more
drones being found sterile (as with other animals as well).  It could be a
result of low levels of pesticide exposure in the environment....

    Giving them another queen is another option, but you should also give
them a couple frames of sealed brood at the same time, because they need
young bees to care for the queen, and your bees are now getting old.  My own
preference is to help them raise their own.  If it fails, unite them with the
other hive, and split them in the spring.

Dave Green
The Pollination Home Page:  http://pollinator.com