Glossary
The practice of replacing a colony's existing queen with a new, mated queen. Beekeepers requeen to improve colony genetics, correct behavioral problems (excessive defensiveness), resolve productivity issues, and prevent swarming in colonies with aging queens.
Queens have a productive lifespan of 2 to 3 years, though some remain viable longer. As a queen ages, her sperm reserves deplete, her pheromone production declines, and her laying rate drops. The colony senses this decline and may attempt supersedure or swarming. Proactive requeening before performance drops noticeably keeps colonies at peak productivity.
Beyond age, requeening addresses specific issues. A colony that has become overly defensive (possibly due to Africanized drone mating) calms dramatically after requeening with a gentle European queen; within one brood cycle (about 6 weeks), the aggressive workers die off and are replaced by daughters of the new, gentler queen. Colonies with poor brood patterns, high disease susceptibility, or low honey production can be improved by introducing queens from proven genetic lines.
Requeening involves finding and removing the old queen, then introducing a new mated queen in a queen cage. The cage protects the new queen from immediate attack by workers who do not yet recognize her pheromone signature. A candy plug in the cage is eaten through by the workers over 2 to 3 days, gradually releasing the queen as the colony acclimates to her scent. Some beekeepers use the "newspaper method" or allow 24 hours of queenlessness before introduction to increase acceptance rates.
Late summer and early fall are popular requeening periods because the newly installed queen will begin laying immediately, producing a generation of young, long-lived winter bees. Spring requeening is also common, giving the new queen the entire productive season to establish her brood pattern and maximize the colony's honey crop.
Many commercial beekeepers requeen annually. Hobbyist beekeepers often requeen every 2 years or when the existing queen shows signs of decline (spotty brood pattern, reduced laying rate, increased colony defensiveness). Some allow colonies to supersede naturally and only intervene when problems arise.
Queen acceptance rates using the candy-cage method are typically 85-95%. The slow-release approach gives workers time to acclimate to the new queen's pheromone. Direct introduction without a cage results in much higher rejection rates. Always check for acceptance 5-7 days after release by looking for fresh eggs.
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