When to Requeen

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When to Requeen

A queen typically reproduces maximally for the first 2 years, so it is important to replace the queen regularly or when signs of failure are apparent. Many beekeepers replace the queen every year to avoid the possibility of failure, while others prefer to let colonies replace their own queens through supersedure.

It is important to replace the queen regularly, or when signs of failure are apparent.
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A queen looking for an appropriate place to lay an egg
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Conditions for Requeening

These are ideal conditions for requeening:

  1. Only after destroying the old queen.

The new queen can then be introduced immediately using a queen shipping cage with candy plug or a push-in hardware cloth cage. Alternatively, you can wait for 5–6 days, at which time all worker brood will be too old for the bees to make a new queen. The bees will have started emergency queen cells; great care must be taken to remove these cells, or the new queen will not be accepted.

  1. When there is a strong nectar flow.

A good time is during the goldenrod flow, which masks the odor of the new queen and makes her acceptance easier. If this timing is not possible, feed sugar syrup to the colony during requeening efforts.

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Requeening in Late Summer/Early Fall

It is easier to requeen in the spring, because the colony is small and therefore the old queen is easier to find. However, the advantages of requeening in late summer/early fall can outweigh this convenience since:

  • Locally reared queens, now popular among beekeepers, may be available only in summer and fall.
  • Young, healthy queens will lay eggs late into the fall, strengthening the population of young bees that might survive the winter.
  • Requeening in the fall encourages spring buildup, decreases the bees' urge to swarm, and may increase honey production.
  • Young queens start expanding the brood earlier in the spring and are less likely to be superseded the following year.

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