A colony may or may not accept introduction of a new queen or queen cell. It is important to give bees time to get used to the pheromonepheromone:
a chemical substance released externally by an individual (from an exocrine gland) which stimulates a response in a second individual of the same species
signature of a newly added queen so they protect an introduced queen cell.
Following a queen event, a new queen needs to be accepted into her colony. When queen replacementqueen replacement:
removal of an old queen and installation of a new queen in a bee colony
via supersedure or swarming occurs, or when queen replacementqueen replacement:
removal of an old queen and installation of a new queen in a bee colony
is induced by queen removal and colonies rear an emergency queen, a queen’s acceptance is normally automatic. When beekeepers seek to introduce a queen cell, a virgin queen, or a mated queen to an existing colony, or uniteunite:
combine one colony with another; opposite of divide
two existing colonies, it is important that steps be taken to ensure new queen acceptance. Indirect release of queens from queen cells (via cell protector caging) and virgin or mated queen adults (via queen cages of various designs) helps ensure acceptance by workers by giving time for workers to become accustomed to the new queen’s pheromones, ensuring successful colony queen replacementqueen replacement:
removal of an old queen and installation of a new queen in a bee colony
.
Thompson J. 2016. Installing a queen. Bee Culture. Accessed 2023. https://www.beeculture.com/installing-a-queen/
“How Bees Beehave When They Accept the New Queen”. YouTube, uploaded by Zaur Man, 6 September 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YTFV7B0b6k
