Requeen with a high-production queen

Replace an underperforming queen with a commercially bred queen selected for honey production traits. Queens from high-production lineages lay more consistently, build larger forager populations, and lead colonies that store significantly more honey.

Why It Works

Queen genetics determine laying rate, brood pattern quality, and colony temperament. A prolific queen can lay 1,500-2,000 eggs per day during peak season, maintaining a large workforce of foragers. Queens older than 2 years or those with spotty brood patterns often decline in performance, and requeening restores colony vigor within one brood cycle (21 days).

Steps

1. Identify the failing queen. Look for spotty brood patterns, low population despite adequate food, or excessive drone brood in worker cells.
2. Remove the old queen at least 24 hours before introducing the replacement.
3. Introduce the new queen in a candy-plug cage placed between brood frames. The slow release over 3-5 days allows workers to acclimate to her pheromones.
4. Check acceptance after 5 days by looking for fresh eggs near the cage location.

Tips

• Purchase queens from reputable breeders who select for honey production, varroa resistance, and gentle temperament
• Requeen in late summer or early autumn so the new queen raises healthy winter bees
• Avoid requeening during a heavy nectar flow, as it causes a brood break that reduces the forager force