Shake out bees and requeen

Shake all bees from the drone-laying colony onto the ground in front of the hive, destroy the drone comb, and set up the hive box with clean frames and a new mated queen. Forager bees will return to the hive and accept the new queen, while the old drone-laying queen, being a poor flier, typically does not make it back.

Why It Works

Shaking bees out disperses the colony and separates the failing queen from the workforce. Foragers instinctively return to their hive location, where they find the new mated queen. Without the old queen's pheromones competing, acceptance rates for the new queen are high. Replacing the drone comb with clean foundation prevents laying workers from continuing.

Tips

• Shake bees at least 15-30 feet from the hive entrance so the old queen cannot easily return
• Install the new queen in a candy-plug cage before shaking so returning foragers find her immediately
• Destroy all drone brood comb to remove laying-worker stimuli
• Best suited for colonies that have been drone-laying for an extended period with heavy drone comb buildup