Could be valid.  Very often we look at a queenless hive and find the bees either in a state of agitation, particularly in the early stages when young brood is still present, or what we describe as demoralized. 

Most often the bees are found to be demoralized when there are no eggs or young open brood left and no queen cells being tended.  They have plenty of supplies, the hive population is still good and otherwise healthy, there's a flow on and weather is fine... but they haven't a queen or the means to make one... and they seem to know what that means. 

Before we even lift a frame we can hear either the agitated queenless roar busy trying to set things right, or the desolate moan of the demoralized hive. 

Nothing much surprises me about the complexity of bees anymore.

Deanna Corbett
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

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