Queen Bee Introduction Techniques

This is the recommended procedure for queen bee introduction, designed for the highest chance of success based on effective beekeeping techniques! Here’s how I introduce my queen bees for optimal bee colony management. First, ensure that there are NO queens or queen cells in the colony for at least a minimum of 24 hours. This crucial step helps eliminate the old queen's pheromones or any hatching cells that could lead to the virgin bee killing the new queen. Second, open the colony and position the queen cage in the center of the brood chamber frames at about a 5-degree angle (with the candy end downward) just below the frame top bars, ensuring the screen faces parallel to the bottom board. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU POKE A HOLE IN THE CANDY OR REMOVE THE CORK FROM THE OTHER END AND SUBSTITUTE IT WITH A MARSHMALLOW, ETC., OR RELEASE DIRECTLY!!! Such actions almost certainly guarantee the death or maiming of the new queen! The candy acts as both feed and a TIME RELEASE mechanism, allowing the bees and queen to interact and exchange scents/pheromones. This interaction is essential for ensuring they all recognize her and that she is accepted. Any attempt to accelerate the introduction process reduces the time available for scent exchange, causing the bees to perceive the queen as a foreign intruder, which could lead to her killing! Step 3: After placing the queen cage properly between the frames, close the colony and DO NOT DISTURB THEM FOR 7 to 10 DAYS!!! Disturbing the colony may trigger alarm/attack/sting pheromones, leading to the bees potentially turning on the queen, which risks her being 'balled' and harmed or killed! After the 7 to 10 day period, she should have emerged and be laying eggs. At this point, you can safely remove the cage and any burr comb present, allowing for proper spacing of the frames again. Managing burr combs and brace combs is much easier than reintroducing a new queen due to impatience and the urge to check on her. Additionally, I DO NOT recommend using 'Push In' cages, as I've often observed, along with feedback from fellow beekeepers, that bees frequently chew the wax/combs beneath the cage edges swiftly, which can lead to the new queen being killed or crippled shortly after. Remember, patience is vital when executing the queen bee introduction procedure! Rushing this process typically results in failure! I hope this guidance assists fellow beekeepers and my customers in achieving consistent success in queen introductions! HOWEVER, I DO NOT GUARANTEE SUCCESSFUL INTRODUCTION or ACCEPTANCE OF THE QUEEN, AS IT IS IN THE BEES' CONTROL ONLY! Thank you, Michael