Laying Workers

My friend's hive is indeed doomed. I conferred with a couple other beekeepers and learned that in a queenless hive the workers will make queen cells with drones in them. Since they haven't had any new workers in the last month the hive will continue to decrease in population until the bees can't keep pests out like wax moths. At that point they plan to harvest any honey in the hive and keep the equipment in good shape for next year. In the Spring they'll be getting another package of bees with a new queen and some experience under their belts.