Emergency queen cells
Emergency queen cells are produced by a honeybee colony when the queen is suddenly lost or removed, and the colony becomes queenless. In the absence of queen pheromones, worker bees recognize queenlessness and initiate emergency queen rearing by selecting young larvae (typically less than 3 days old) and developing them into queens in specially constructed emergency queen cells. These cells are often built on existing worker comb and are characterized by their rapid construction and urgency. Emergency queen cell production is a survival mechanism for queenless colonies to restore queenright status.
- Confirm queenlessness5
The first step when emergency queen cells are observed is to confirm colony queenlessness. This involves a thorough hive inspection to verify the absence of the queen and, crucially, the absence of eggs and young larvae. The presence of eggs or young larvae indicates that the queen was recently…
📌 none4/16/2025, 9:22:02 PM
🛠️ Hive tool, smoker, protective gear
- Introduce mated queen (if needed)4
If queenlessness is confirmed and hive inspection reveals no eggs or young larvae suitable for emergency queen rearing, introducing a mated queen is the recommended course of action. This is crucial to prevent the colony from becoming hopelessly queenless, which can lead to colony decline and…
📌 commercial4/16/2025, 9:22:02 PM
🛠️ Queen cage, hive tool