bees raising queens

[drmwarden]

Is it true that for bees to raise a queen they need to start from eggs less than three days old?  I am asking because I placed two frames of capped brood into a queenless colony to try to get them into a more domestic frame of mind before trying to install a new queen.   I didn't think they could raise a queen from brood that is already capped.  Am I wrong?

[SherryL]

Yes that is true, and no, you're not wrong.  :)

[Michael Bush]

Its true they have to have a three day old egg, but you can't guarantee there isn't a three day old egg on the frame of capped brood hiding somewhere, unless you know for a fact that a queen has not had access to it for the last four days or so.  I would almost guarantee there will be an egg in there somewhere.