Trying to help friend with walk away split?

[rookie2531]

I have a friend, and no this is not about me.lol

Anyway, 6 weeks ago (june 12)he wanted to split his double deep hive. I told him to just separate the boxes and look for queen cells the next week to know where the queen is. He said he did and found cells in one box. I told him to stay out until July 12. He text me back that he saw larvae. Everything good then. But not. I went over to inspect that hive and couldn't find no eggs, larvae or capped brood. I said, " I thought you said you saw brood", he said I thought I did. He apparently don't see to good.

But here is the strange part, I found a queen. She was skiddish and running, but she was a dink. I told him, I didn't like the size of her and she might be having a hard time reaching bottom of cells, she is small. I told him to wait one more week and give a frame from the queen right hive to it, to see if they make another cell on it. Don't know why I didn't see no eggs, I would have surely thought she didn't make it back from the mating flight, if I didn't see her with my own eyes.

[Acebird]

What does the rest of the hive look like?  Any resources?  Honey, pollen, starving, plugged, what is happening?

[rookie2531]

Full deep full of bees, honey and pollen. The whole time he was waiting on her to emerge and mate, they drew 4 more frames on a second box above.

[Acebird]

Then let them do what they know how to do.

[BeeMaster2]

Give her a little more time. She is small because she has not started laying.
Jim

[rookie2531]

Ok. Thanks. I hope your are right jim. She is a short one.
Not much time to supercede her if shes no good.

[BeeMaster2]

I have seen new queens in my observation hive go from small to very large once they start laying.
Jim