Direct Queen Release

[banjojohn]

I was inspecting my hives yesterday and 2 were queenless (out of five). I mean no eggs and no small larva. One had empty queen cells and the other had a few capped brood and no empty cells, no eggs, no larva. I pulled a frame out of one of my other hives and it had 3 queen cells on it. They were hatching as I looked at them. One came out and I put her in one of the queenless hives. She just went walking in among them and no one bothered her. One the others hatched a minute later and I put her in the other queenless hive, she too walked right into them with no hostility. I put the other cell in there too, it was being chewed open. Any chance they will take these and if they do, how long before eggs appear. I have a lot of purple martins and swallows near my house, do they take queens on their mating flights? My local store has queens on hand for sale. I was going to get them if this didn't work? Thanks, John

[Robo]

Weather permitting,  you should start to see eggs within 2 weeks if they are successful.

[Finsky]

My local store has queens on hand for sale. I was going to get them if this didn't work? Thanks, John

At earliest it takes 10 days before new queens lay eggs and you do not know quality.

I should buy at once egg laying queens, so hives get earlier start. It is important because it is spring.  And when queen starts to lay eggs, and you have bigger hives, give to both a frame of emerging bees. So new queen get fresh nurserbees and it gives kick to your unlucky hives.