Don't just listen to the anecdotes of others. Try for yourself. Observe a queenright hive so you know just how it behaves normally. Remove the queen and watch and listen to the way they behave. Better still have 2 matched hives close to each other so you can compare one without the queen with one with. Press an ear to the outside of a queenright brood box and tap the box once. Do the same with a queenless hive. Tell us the difference. Chris