jen.....
sometimes keeping bees brings hard lessons to learn. we all have our ways, we all have different practices and different beliefs. to let a hive suffer from the lack of a producing queen just because we believe in not killing anything will make the hive suffer and possibly die off, not us. i just think this person needs to learn that snuffing a queen that is not viable is a good thing, not a bad thing irregardless of religious beliefs and when it comes to insects in a box it's not about our own religious beliefs or other practices we believe in. we all need to look beyond ourselves. just saying. no different than those who want to keep bees 'organically' or without treatment for mites; and when the bees die off.........are we just being stubborn and hardheaded? sticking to something just because? sorry about the small 'soapbox', but honey bees are 'livestock' and getting more expensive as are queens. if you want to practice beekeeping, or be a beekeeper, then we must learn to do what we need to do to care for them and practice the 'art' or be a true keeper of keeping bees........
beekeeper or beehaver..........? just saying.
i get what you are saying, but what does this person learn in keeping bees? you are the teacher jen, educate, if they are not willing to listen and learn then i would not sell them my own frames. it has never been easy for me to squish a queen, but she is the life of the hive and without a good queen the hive will dwindle and die off.
perhaps as others have said, maybe it is not the queen, maybe another issue? take a look see, let us know!
hope i made some sense with what i said?