The Art of Queen Introduction

Introducing a new queen into a honey bee colony is one of the most delicate and high-risk tasks in beekeeping. A poor queen introduction can lead to queen rejection. Whether replacing an aging queen, requeening a colony, or introducing an elite queen, beekeepers must carefully manage the transition process to ensure acceptance.

Queen introduction is not simply about placing a new queen into a hive. It requires planning, patience and an understanding of bee behaviour. The colony must gradually accept the new queen’s pheromones and worker bees must be prevented from prematurely attacking her. In this guide, we will explore two effective methods of introducing a queen: (a) the gradual introduction method and (b) the introduction of an elite queen.

The Gradual Introduction Method: A Step-by-Step Approach

One of the most reliable ways to introduce a queen is through a gradual adaptation process. This technique ensures that the colony slowly becomes accustomed to the new queen’s pheromones before direct contact occurs, reducing the likelihood of aggression and rejection.

1. Preparing the Hive for Queen Introduction

Before introducing the new queen, the colony must be properly prepared to increase acceptance rates. The process begins with setting up a small colony in the top section of the hive. This nucleus will serve as the new queen’s initial environment, where she will begin integrating into the colony structure.

Inside the top hive body, beekeepers must ensure there are frames with honey and pollen, as well as emerging brood. These resources provide stability and support the initial acceptance phase.

To prevent immediate contact between the new queen and the existing bees, the two sections of the hive are separated using a plastic film and a queen excluder. This barrier allows pheromones to spread gradually reducing the risk of immediate aggression.

2. Removing the Old Queen

If the colony has an existing queen, she must be removed at least 24 hours before introducing the new queen. The presence of an old queen triggers aggression toward any new queen and worker bees will instinctively try to eliminate the newcomer.

After removing the old queen, the colony will enter a queenless phase during which worker bees start seeking a new leader. This phase is crucial for enhancing the new queen’s acceptance, as the colony will be more inclined to embrace her presence.

3. Placing the New Queen in a Cage

After 24 hours, the new queen is introduced in a queen cage containing candy paste. The cage prevents the queen from being immediately attacked, allowing her pheromones to spread throughout the hive.

Over the next 7 days, the colony gradually adapts to her scent. During this time, the worker bees feed the queen, nurse her, and begin treating her as their own. As the candy plug dissolves, the bees will naturally release the queen once they have accepted her presence.

During this acceptance period, the colony must be closely monitored. Any queen cells (emergency queen replacements) that appear in the upper hive body must be destroyed, as they indicate that the colony has not fully accepted the new queen.

4. Final Colony Integration

After 7 days, the queen should be actively laying eggs, and young larvae should be visible in brood cells. Once this milestone is reached, the plastic film can be partially lifted, allowing the colony to integrate naturally. After another few days, the hive is fully united, and the new queen takes her role as the colony’s leader.

This gradual introduction technique is highly effective because it allows worker bees to adjust to the new queen’s presence over time preventing sudden aggression and increasing the likelihood of long-term acceptance.

Introducing an Elite Queen: A Controlled Method for High-Value Queens

Elite queens require a carefully controlled introduction process. Because these queens are highly valuable, their rejection would be a major loss, making their acceptance even more critical.

1. Creating a Queenless Environment

Unlike standard requeening, the introduction of an elite queen begins with the creation of a completely queenless colony. This involves:

• Removing the old queen (if present) at least 24 hours in advance.
• Sealing off the top hive body with a fine mesh screen.
• Placing an empty hive box above the mesh screen, which will serve as the introduction chamber.

This separation isolates the queenless bees in the top section while allowing pheromones from the elite queen to circulate through the colony initiating a gradual familiarisation process.

2. Adding Emerging Brood to the Upper Section

To support the queen’s acceptance, frames with emerging brood are placed in the upper hive body. Newly emerged bees have no memory of the previous queen and are more likely to accept the elite queen without aggression.

The brood frames are insulated with warm dividers to ensure an optimal microclimate for queen introduction.

3. Introducing the Elite Queen in a Cage

The elite queen is placed inside her cage on the mesh separator, allowing her pheromones to spread without direct contact. Over the next 4-5 days, beekeepers do not disturb the hive, giving the bees time to adjust.

4. Checking for Acceptance

After 4-5 days, the hive is opened to inspect whether the queen is being accepted. Key indicators of success include:

• Egg-laying activity in the upper section.
• Worker bees feeding and tending to the queen.
• Absence of queen replacement cells (a sign of rejection).

If no problems are observed, the lower hive body is checked for emergency queen cells (which must be removed). If the new queen is thriving, the hive is slowly integrated by uniting the sections with newspaper. Over the next few days, the colony chews through the paper, gradually merging into a single, queenright unit.

This controlled introduction method ensures that elite queens are integrated into a stable colony with minimal risk of rejection.

Key Takeaways for Successful Queen Introduction

• Patience is essential because rushing the process increases the risk of queen rejection.
• Gradual pheromone exposure prevents worker aggression and enhances acceptance.
• Removing the old queen at least 24 hours before introduction improves acceptance rates.
• Queen cages provide protection during the adaptation phase.
• Destroying emergency queen cells is crucial—if the colony is trying to replace the new queen, she is not fully accepted.
• Monitoring post-introduction ensures the queen is laying and that the colony remains stable.