Use a slow cage introduction over 3-7 days

Confine the new queen in a cage placed between brood frames and leave her caged for 3-7 days so workers acclimate to her pheromones through the mesh before release. This is the most widely recommended queen introduction method, with acceptance rates of 80-90% when done correctly.

Why It Works

Worker bees identify queens by pheromone profile. A foreign queen smells wrong and triggers balling behavior. The cage forces gradual pheromone exchange without physical contact, allowing workers to shift from hostility to acceptance over several days. Placing the cage between brood frames exposes nurse bees first, which are the least aggressive caste.

Tips

• Confirm the colony is queenless for at least 24 hours before introducing the caged queen
• Position the cage screen-side down between two frames of open brood
• Check after 48 hours: if bees are clustered calmly on the cage, acceptance is likely; if they are biting at the mesh aggressively, wait longer
• Remove any emergency queen cells the colony has started before introducing the new queen
• Avoid disturbing the hive during the introduction period