Bee Buzz Box June 2017 Revisited – The Honey Bee Queen Introducing the Queen Bee

Alan Wade and Frank Derwent

Canberra Region Beekeepers

Why requeen?

One of the most daunting tasks facing a beginning beekeeper is knowing how to find and whether to replace a colony queen. There are many good reasons to requeen bees. This is because the condition of the queen, as the mother of each and every colony bee, will shape the condition of the super organism, the honey bee hive.

As we shall see, regular requeening, that is at least every 1-2 years, is important largely because at least half of all colonies either swarm (where the old queen departs) or replace (supersedes) their own queen annually. Hard-worked commercial colonies may be requeened as often as several times annually and always if colonies are well below par. Overall routine requeening will help keep colonies on track so that one has:

• gentle, tractable bees that are a delight to work;

• bees that are less likely to swarm, that is head out the front door;

• populous thriving colonies of bees supported by a queen with high fecundity – queen laying capacity; and

• stable healthy colonies that are less subject to supersedure or that may become drone layers.

Queen age is a critical factor in determining the propensity of bees to swarm (Simpson, 1957, 1958). Colonies headed by queens two years of age are three times more likely to swarm than with queens less than one year old whereas swarming was reported to occur in 10-40% of unmanaged colonies with young queens. If ever there were any early evidence that colonies fail, swarm or supersede their queen than it comes from reports by Colon Butler (1957, 1959). A fitting tribute to Butler and his links to James Simpson is penned by Norman Carreck (2015). In a published report Butler and Gibbons (1958) state that:

A method of determining, biologically, in the laboratory, the efficacy of any given substance to inhibit queenless worker honey-bees from rearing queens has been considerably improved, and a start has been made in determining the amount of queen substance that can be extracted from queens of various types. Preliminary results suggest that queens that have actually been superseded by their workers, and queens who have swarmed from uncrowded colonies, possess less of this substance than queens from colonies of similar size in which the workers have not reared any new queens. These results support the view that swarming is, like supersedure, initiated by a shortage of queen substance. It is, however, still uncertain why colonies sometimes replace their queens by the process of supersedure and at other times by swarming; nor do we know what causes swarming bees to leave the parental hive.

While queen breeders have been able to progress selection for strains of bees with a lower propensity to swarm, the take home message is that if you want to control swarming, make every effort to do so.

Indeed Butler (1954, 1956) was earlier surveying his theory that such as substance existed, was coating the queen and was shared by workers tending the queen:

When a colony of honeybees loses its queen the worker bees soon become aware of the fact (often within thirty minutes or less) and the behaviour of the colony as a whole tends to change from a state of organised activity to one of disorganised restlessness…

...Within a few hours a more definite sign of queenlessness becomes apparent, as one or more worker brood cells containing young female larvae will usually have been modified by the bees to form emergency queen cells.

Little wonder then that introducing a young queen – loaded with queen substance – to a colony with a failing queen will provide the elixir of life to a colony of honey bees in decline.

In practice colonies, left unmanaged, will very often replace their queens either through supersedure or swarming within a year, a common finding supported by Simpson’s extended studies. Since daughter queen mating is uncontrolled, there is always a high risk of ending up with poor temperament progeny.

A new queen adds vigour – there are many more replacement bees – and doing so is good insurance against cranky, unmanageable and disease prone stock. I've experienced too many 'killer bees' confronting me at the farm gate to suggest it might be better policy to turn tail and head home.

Finding that rogue queen

Finding a queen comes with practice and is much easier in a tractable colony where minimal smoke is needed. Finding a queen in a cranky agitated colony, where bees are unsettled and moving about quickly, can be nigh impossible, though there are several last resort techniques for isolating an evasive queen.

Spring or autumn requeening is ideal since there are many fewer bees to handle and this is when the best quality queens are available. Try to work bees on warm sunny days when the majority of the bees will also be out foraging. Marking queens also makes them easier to locate: the presence of a marked queen also signals whether the old queen is still present.

Fostering ideal requeening conditions

Queen bees can only be introduced into honey bee colonies from which the reigning queen has been removed. The basic principle for successful queen introduction is to create conditions where bees, unrelated to the new queen, can best accept her as their new mother. In the absence of a honey flow, feeding bees light sugar water settles them down and keeps them busy.

Where a queen is already present or there are other look-alike queens present, so called gynes (queen cells, virgin queens and laying so-called gynaecoid workers) or even a second queen – as opposed to sterile workers only – this condition is not met. Any attempt to introduce a new queen will result in her being balled by hostile workers while any introduced queen cell will be torn down by workers or stung by the queen or by workers.

Hence the key to successful requeening is to make quite certain that the old queen has been removed. The bees sense this loss by a process of chemical messaging: the colony queen has a distinctive pheromone signal that the workers recognise and show remarkable fidelity towards. However, once she is removed this chemical signal disappears and the colony will readily accept a new queen.

Plan well ahead and order queens months in advance. Here are a few straightforward step-by-step instructions for introducing new queens.

Direct queen introduction

In this method the old queen is just 'swapped' for a 'new one' but wait till queens arrive in the mail before killing the old ones.

When you have found the queen continue to search other frames for a potential second queen that is sometimes present. Quite often the old queen is being replaced naturally in a process called supersedure so two or more queens are often present. After a short time introduce the new queen cage candy entrance facing upwards to prevent any escort bees blocking her exit. Place her between top bars of brood nest frames, ideally next a frame from which young nurse bees are emerging.

Alternatively a queen cell may be introduced. Because queen cells produce minimal queen pheromone, they do not need protection.

Figure 1 Direct queen replacement:

(a) colony needing requeening;

(b) old or poorly performing queen is found and removed;

(c) new queen or queen cell is introduced.

The method is very simple but it does involve finding and removing the old queen (or queens) first. Its main downside is that, if a period of queenlessness is not practiced, there is some risk that the new queen may not be accepted. Usually, however, the delayed release afforded by the queen cage candy will enable successful requeening.

The colony should be inspected a week to twenty one days later to ensure that the new queen has been accepted and is laying. It is not essential to find her as her presence will be indicated by the presence of eggs and young brood.

Introduction of queen to an offset nucleus colony

In this method queen replacement in the parent colony is ingeniously delayed by introducing her to young bees with some brood and stores in a small offset or nucleus colony. Three to six frame nuc boxes are ideal but standard single-box gear also works quite well. This method of queen introduction buys you time – the old queen does not have to be found immediately – and it provides you greater certainty that the queen has been accepted and that it is safe to despatch the old one.

To prepare this nucleus colony, place one or two frames of mainly sealed brood, one or two frames of stores in an empty single box (or a special smaller nuc box) with its own base and lid and shake young bees off three or four frames of brood taking great care to not transfer the queen. To do this firstly gently shake some bees off brood frames to dislodge older, mainly field bees, and only use the remaining nurse bees.

The queen cage is inserted next sealed brood in the nucleus colony in the same manner to that already described. The nuc is then left strictly alone and not inspected for 7-10 days. This will give the new queen time to settle and be accepted. Employing a nuc will also allow you to easily confirm that she is present and that she is successfully laying. The take home messages are that a new queen will be accepted more readily than into a large colony and that you can readily monitor her establishment.

However it is important that inspection be conducted not later than twenty one days of her introduction. Otherwise you cannot be absolutely certain that the nucleus has not raised its own queen and supplanted the new one you have introduced.

Meanwhile the old queen, left in the parent colony, will keep laying and colony buildup will proceed uninterrupted. Her presence guarantees the colony will remain queenright even if, in the unlikely event, the new queen is lost.

Once the new queen is well established and brood in all stages of development, the old queen can be found and despatched and the nucleus colony papered on top. In practice this should be conducted only after the new queen has her own sealed brood.

Figure 2 Indirect queen replacement: e = entrance; x = excluder; OQ = old queen; New Q = new queen:

(a) colony in need of requeening;

(b) nucleus is offset using parent colony resources and to which new queen is introduced; and

(c) colony is united after old queen is removed where the old queen moves down.

The method obviates the need to search a large colony to find the old queen at the time of queen introduction. Queen replacement in the parent colony can then be conducted at leisure and under good conditions, not always possible when the new queens arrive in a cold snap or on a hot windy day.

Many beekeepers simply paper the nuc with the new queen onto the old colony without ever finding the old queen. In the majority of instances, the old queen is superseded by the new introduced queen, a time saving option in a large apiary.

Colony split and introduction of queen to the queenless unit

In this method, well suited to the difficult task of requeening very populous colonies, the hive is split and a new queen is introduced to the queenless unit.

It differs from the direct replacement and offset nuc methods in that the split can be performed as long as 7-10 days (the timing is critical) before the planned introduction of a new queen and that it is really best applied when requeening overly strong colonies. There are many variants to the procedure and, if desired, a new queen can be introduced to each half of the split to produce two newly queened colonies. Splitting colonies is particularly useful not only in planning requeening in a well-established apiary but also in controlling swarming and mite reproduction.

To start, the colony is simply divided into two units (Figure 3a) or is alternatively separated by a solid division (split) board or a double screen (Figure 3b). The only differences are that the gear is kept together (Figure 3b) and an extra lid and base are not required. If a double screen is employed instead of a solid division board the bees are still separated but the upper unit benefits from the warmth generated by the lower brood nest. In any case the queenless unit will raise its own emergency queen if not requeened shortly after the colony is split.

The split board is a simple flat board rimmed with risers and an entrance. It is a handy piece of gear that can be used a temporary bottom board or lid. A super and excluder can be added as the colony builds.

Figure 3a Queen introduction to split – new queen will normally replace old queen or old queen can be removed; the new queen moves down.

Figure 3b Queen introduction to split colony using a division (split) board: OQ = old queen:

(a) colony with old or swarm prone queen;

(b) colony is split ideally removing brood to make space for the old queen to keep laying;

(c) new queen is introduced to queenless split or allowed to raise its own emergency queen; and colony is supered for the flow after removing old queen.

The lost queen syndrome

If you lose a queen, none is available, and the colony appears otherwise to be very healthy, there are two simple remedies. One is to get the colony to raise its own queen. The other is to cut your losses and use the gear and bees as best possible elsewhere in the apiary.

If the colony is strong and has not been queenless for long, that is there is some brood present, simply introduce a frame or two of brood at most stages of development but including some eggs. The colony will usually, but not always, raise its own emergency queen cells where the best cell started can be left.

The simpler and more sure option is to paper on surplus boxes with bees, any brood and stores to other queenright colonies.

In either instance take decisive action to avoid spoilage of stores or wax moth and small hive beetle attack. Take advantage of the fact that bees have a remarkable potential for renewal especially when headed by a young queen. You can always catch a new swarm or divide a colony another time after re-ordering a new queen.

Cant find the queen syndrome

And if you can't find that old queen or the bees make the task too daunting? Even splitting a colony and moving the brood nest (below the excluder) a few meters away and allowing bees to drift to the offset super(s) will make finding that queen – without most of the aggressive attack bees – so much easier.

Of course beekeeping clubs like Canberra Region Beekeepers have a plethora of old hands willing to, so to speak, lend a queen finding hand. They may be only too happy to help but you have to ask. Better turn up to the club apiary in spring when queens are being raised or introduced.

Readings

Butler, C.G. (1954). The method and importance of the recognition by a colony of honeybees (A. mellifera) of the presence of its queen. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 105(2):11-29. https://sci-hub.usualwant.com/10.1111/j.1365-2311.1954.tb00773.x

Butler, C.G. (1956). Some further observations on the nature of queen substance and of its role in the organisation of a honey-bee (Apis mellifera) community. The Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London A 31:12-16. https://sci-hub.usualwant.com/10.1111/j.1365-3032.1956.tb00192.x

Butler, C.G. (1957). Queen substance. Rothamsted Experimental Station. Harpenden, Herts. Report for 1957, p.169. https://archive.org/details/report-rothamsted-experimental-station_1957/page/169/mode/1up

Butler, C.G. and Gibbons, D.A. (1958). The inhibition of queen rearing by feeding queenless worker honeybees (A. mellifera) with an extract of queen substance. Journal of Insect Physiology 2(1):61-64. https://sci-hub.usualwant.com/10.1016/0022-1910(58)90028-3

Butler, C.G. (1959). Bee Department report of Rothamsted Experimental Station. https://repository.rothamsted.ac.uk/id/eprint/31239/

Carreck, N.L. (2015). Colin G Butler, MA, PhD, FRPS, FlBiol, OBE, FRS (1913– Bee World 92(4):129-131. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/0005772X.2016.1171269?needAccess=true

Simpson, J. (1957). The incidence of swarming among colonies of honeybees in England. Journal of Agricultural Science 49(4):387-393. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859600038375

Simpson, J. (1962). Work at Rothamsted on honeybee swarming. Rothamsted report for 1962. pp.254-259. http://www.era.rothamsted.ac.uk/eradoc/OCR/ResReport1962-236-259