Requeening with hygienic stock

Replace the existing queen with a new queen bred from hygienic stock to strengthen the colony's natural defense against European Foulbrood. EFB outbreaks are strongly linked to colony stress and genetic susceptibility, so introducing superior genetics directly addresses a root cause of the disease.

Why It Works

Hygienic bees detect and remove diseased or dead larvae from cells within 24-48 hours, preventing Melissococcus plutonius from spreading to healthy brood. Colonies headed by hygienic queens show significantly lower EFB recurrence rates because the rapid removal of infected larvae breaks the bacterial transmission cycle.

Tips

• Source queens from reputable breeders who test for hygienic behavior (e.g., freeze-kill or liquid nitrogen assays scoring above 95% removal).
• Introduce the new queen in a cage and allow 3-5 days for colony acceptance before releasing her.
• Combine requeening with a shook swarm for severe infections to simultaneously remove contaminated comb.
• Time the requeen during a nectar flow or provide supplemental feeding to reduce colony stress during the transition.
• Monitor brood pattern for 4-6 weeks after requeening to confirm improved health.