requeened

Requeening is the beekeeping practice of replacing a honey bee colony's queen with a new queen. A colony that has undergone requeening is described as requeened. The change is usually undertaken to restore or improve colony performance, vitality, and brood quality, and to refresh genetics or behavior through a new queen.

Reasons for requeening include an aging queen with declining egg-laying, inconsistent brood patterns, aggressive or defensive behavior, or a desire to introduce different genetics, traits, or resistance to pests. Requeening can help stabilize production, swarm management, and long-term colony health, particularly after several seasons or in deteriorating queen performance.

Methods vary with the colony’s status. If the hive is queenless, a newly mated queen or a queen cell can be released directly. If the colony is queenright, beekeepers often remove the old queen and introduce a new queen in a protected cage to allow gradual acceptance. Queens may be purchased, imported, or raised by the beekeeper. In some cases, natural supersedure within the colony replaces a failing queen without human intervention.

Introduction process typically involves ensuring adequate colony strength, placing the queen in an introduction cage with a candy plug, and inserting the cage into the brood nest. The cage is left in place for several days to a week to allow workers to acclimate. The beekeeper monitors for acceptance and signs of laying in the days or weeks that follow, feeding if necessary.

Timing is usually in spring or early summer when forage is abundant and brood development can reestablish a strong workforce. Requeening requires careful observation, and success depends on colony conditions and queen compatibility.