Like Matt, I have always wondered if a hive with laying workers could be
made productive by giving it a few frames of sealed larvae, plus a frame of
eggs.  As we all know, it is almost impossible to get them to accept a queen
from a cage.

In the end, I have never tried to have them raise their own queen, because
the math doesn't make sense.  In order to have laying workers, a hive has to
have been queenless for around 5 weeks...an eternity in bee-life.  Thus, the
workers present are "old", and perhaps not capable of producing the royal
jelly necessary to raise a good queen.  Royal jelly is normally produced by
newly-emerged bees!  But even if they could produce a queen from a 1-3 day
larvae, it would then take approximately another 5 weeks for her to emerge,
mate, and start laying...and then another 3 weeks for the first worker
larvae to emerge.  That is 8 weeks, on top of the 5 or so all ready elapsed.
Sound like the end of summer and a hive with bees and no stores?

A hive of laying workers will accept a queen if she is introduced along with
all the other bees, larvae, etc. from a 4-5 frame nuc.  As many have
suggested, from spring until late summer or early fall every beekeeper
should keep at least 2 nucs on hand, or 1 nuc for every ten hives, whichever
is the greater number.  It is rare to go into winter with the nucs still
intact.  And even if you do, a very high percentage will survive the winter
just fine, even as far north as we are.

Lloyd
Mailto:[log in to unmask]
Lloyd Spear Owner, Ross Rounds, Inc.  The finest in comb honey production.
Visit our web site at http://www.rossrounds.com.