A queenless colony has lost its queen to death, injury, or a failed supersedure after swarming. Without a laying queen, no new worker brood is raised, and the colony will decline within weeks. Early signs include no eggs or young larvae, an erratic brood pattern, and unusually nervous or aggressive bees.

Queenlessness — Knowlya

Purchase a mated queen from a reputable breeder and introduce her to the queenless colony using a candy-plug cage. Place the cage between two central brood frames and leave the hive undisturbed for 5-7 days before checking for acceptance and egg-laying.

🛠️ Queen cage, hive tool

Combine with a queenright colony using the newspaper method

4

Merge the queenless colony into a strong, queenright hive by stacking the queenless boxes on top, separated by a single sheet of newspaper with a few small slits cut in it. The bees chew through the newspaper over 1-2 days, gradually mixing by scent and preventing fighting.

🛠️ Newspaper, hive tool

Allow the colony to raise an emergency queen

3

If the queenless colony still contains eggs or larvae younger than 3 days old, the workers can raise their own emergency queen without any beekeeper intervention. Confirm young brood is present, then leave the hive undisturbed for at least 4 weeks to allow queen cell construction, emergence, mating…

🛠️ None

Queenlessness

Other problems in Beekeeping