Buy new Queen or keep the replacement Queen?

[engine4]

I lost my Queen about a month ago.  I realized this because there were no eggs.  Two weeks ago, I ordered a new Queen.  Then, a week ago, while I was still waiting for the new Queen to arrive (via mail), I saw that there were eggs.  Now, I assume that there is a replacement Queen.  As it turns out, the Queen I ordered (via mail), never arrived.  

The Queen I ordered was shipped on July 8th.  It is July 20th (13 days later).  Can I assume this Queen will arrive dead if it arrives at all?  Should I just let nature take it's course and let the replacement Queen continue or should I order another Queen?  Why is the replacement Queen sometimes "inferior"?

Thanks,
Dan

[Phoenix]

I lost my Queen about a month ago.

If the hive is left queenless this long, there is a good chance you now have a laying worker, and you will soon have a colony of all drones.

As it turns out, the Queen I ordered (via mail), never arrived.

 Who did you order it from?

Can I assume this Queen will arrive dead if it arrives at all?

Yes, most don't even make it five days in the mail.

Should I just let nature take it's course and let the replacement Queen continue or should I order another Queen?

Most likely nature has already taken it's course, and it's headed down a dead end road.

Why is the replacement Queen sometimes "inferior"?

I have not seen this to be the case in the middle of summer.  The only time I have had any problem with supercedure queens is in early or late winter when there are less drones available or inclement weather.

Don't get too specific of where you live in SE Michigan, we might find you...

[engine4]

So, do you think it's worth it to order a new Queen at this time?  What's to stop them from killing the new Queen?

Dan

[Phoenix]

If you have a situation of laying workers, your chances of acceptance of the new queen are slim.  Do not chance trying to introduce a new queen to a hive that thinks they have a viable queen.

First, determine whether or not you have a laying worker.  Are all the newly capped cells bullet capped?  Are there multiple eggs per cell?  A viable queen will only lay one egg per cell, at the bottom and in the center of each cell, whereas a laying worker does not have the abcomen length to deposit theses eggs all the way to the bottom and will often deposit multiple eggs on the side walls.

If you have a laying worker, order a new queen.  When the new queen arrives,  take the hive 50 yards away and shake them out.  This will get rid of the worker that is the layer, she will not be able to find her way home since she has never left the hive in order to orient herself.  Return the hive bodies to the original location in order to give the foragers their home back.  Introduce the new queen, leave her in her cage for a few days in order to give the colony time to accept her.  Slow introduction is your best chance for acceptance.