I'd be willing to bet you have a new queen in the old hive. A swarm leaves
with the old queen several days before the new one emerges. Once she
emerges, it's several more days before she mates and starts her egg-laying
career. In the meantime, she keeps a very low profile. 

Your new queen is probably just on the verge of making herself known. I've
had similar cases where I've given up on a colony, then come back a week
later and found a couple frames of brood.

Eugene Makovec
Kirkwood, MO USA



"Recently the queen of one of my hives left the hive along with a big
number of bees and 'sat' on a nearby tree... This happened before two
weeks.
Yesterday ... I realised that the old hive *does not* have a queen bee!!!"

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