Hello All,

This is not a request for help with dealing with a laying worker situation.
That part is handled. Some background and a question below:

I purchased three early packages this year. I say early because they were
due to arrive in late March, which in New England is early. It's still damn
cold out, but we had terrible winter losses this year in our region and I
prefer to try and get things up and running as quickly as possible. This
has not been a problem for me until this year.

The packages were being brought north by a local supplier. The first date
was delayed due to the late freeze and snow in the southern United States.
Quite understandable. As a result, I received my packages in the second
week of April. After 5 days, I went in and released the queens as I was due
to be traveling over the next week and didn't want to leave them without
checking for that long.

On May 1st, two weeks later, I inspected to find: 1 colony fine and laying
up nice frames of brood; 1 colony with a queen and no signs of any brood at
all; and the last colony with no sign of the queen, and laying workers.  My
local supplier agreed to replace the laying worker package and the
non-laying queen, so that was all fine.

So, now to the actual question. I've never experienced a laying
worker situation so quickly (2.5 weeks).  Is it possible that the package
was shaken from a laying worker colony and my caged queen never had a
chance against this? What is the average time frame that a queenless colony
will develop laying workers? In my previous experience, it is well over a
month.

Amy

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