Requeening is one of those tasks in beekeeping that you don’t do often, but when you do, it’s a big deal. It’s not just about replacing a queen, it’s about correcting problems, improving genetics, and setting the colony up for success through the next season. Whether your queen has aged out, gone missing, or just isn’t producing the results you need, requeening the right way at the right time can turn a struggling hive around.
In this article, I’ll walk you through when and why to requeen, how to tell if a colony is truly queenless, and the main requeening methods I use depending on the situation. I’ll also share how to avoid some of the most common and costly mistakes.
Why Requeening Matters
I requeen my hives every two years as a matter of practice. That’s a preventative measure that ensures my queens never age out or run out of viable sperm, and it keeps the genetics strong. However, I’ve also requeened plenty of times outside of that cycle, usually to address undesirable traits in the hive.
Sometimes, a colony is just mean. Sometimes they’re overly swarmy. Sometimes they limp through winter and never really recover. Those are all valid reasons to requeen. Other times, it’s because something’s gone wrong and the queen is gone.
The most important thing is understanding why you’re requeening and doing it in a way that increases the likelihood of her being accepted by the new colony.
How to Know If Requeening Is the Right Call
Before you spend money on a new queen, you need to go through a quick decision tree. Here’s how I approach it in my own yard:
First, do I see eggs or larvae? If yes, there’s a queen present.
If not, can I find the queen? If she’s nowhere to be seen…
Then I check for queen cells.
If I find no queen, no eggs, and no larvae, and there are no queen cells, that colony is truly queenless, and it’s time to requeen.
If I find capped or open queen cells, I let them finish what they’ve started. I’ll usually reduce the number to 2 or 3 of the best-looking ones and then wait. If I find emerged queen cells, I know a virgin is likely out on a mating flight, so I’ll give it another week. If after two weeks I see no eggs, no queen, and no new cells, it’s time to intervene.
If you’re not sure what a queenless colony looks like or how to read the signs, I cover that in detail here: Is My Colony Queenless? How To Tell and What To Do.
Common Requeening Mistakes
I’ve made them. Most beekeepers have.
Introducing a queen too soon is the number one issue I’ve run into, especially into a hive that still had a queen, or didn’t yet realize she was gone. The result? She gets balled and killed. You just wasted time, money, and now you’ve got a colony with two dead queens instead of one.
If you’re going to introduce a caged mated queen, wait at least 24–48 hours after removing the old one. Give the colony time to realize they’re queenless. They should readily accept her.
When Is the Best Time to Requeen?
I don’t know that there is a better or worse time, but I always do mine in the spring for routine replacements. I like doing it in the spring because the cell builders that provided the new queens are operating on a nectar flow and have the maximum amount of possible resources over any other time of the years.
If you have to order outside of your own apiary, then it almost does not matter where you get a mated queen from as long as it is a reputable supplier. Just remember that should you chose to try and make your own queens from queen cells later in the season, drone availability can be a challenge sometimes.
How to Requeen: Your Options
Introducing a mated queen is the most direct and reliable way to requeen. You order a mated queen, cage her with a candy plug, and introduce her after removing the old queen.
I personally use a candy plug and break it slightly with a nail to give the workers a head start in getting to her. Then I hang the cage between frames using either friction on the queen cage it selve or a toothpick through the strap (if they came with a strap like you often see in packaged bees). Then close the hive up. Come back in 3–5 days to check if she’s been released and off to work.
Never introduce a new queen immediately after removing the old one. Give the colony 24–48 hours of queenlessness before introducing her.
You can also remove the queen and let them raise their own from young larvae. This is called a walkaway split, and it works well if the colony is strong and still has eggs. The downside is that it takes 4 to 5 weeks before new eggs appear, and if it fails, you’ve lost a full month of production. Not a chance I’m willing to take in the spring, but those with much longer nectar flows and a good variety of forage throughout the summer, this may be acceptable.
If you have access to queen cells, whether from your own grafting efforts or from a strong colony producing excess swarm cells, you can install one into a queenless hive. This method is faster than letting the bees raise a queen themselves. The good news with this method is if you were wrong and the colony is queenright, they’ll just remove the queen cell you installed and continue with business as usual.
Another option I really like is combining with a nuc. If you’ve got a small nuc with a queen that’s mated and laying, you can apply a little bit of smoke and combine it with a queenless colony. It’s a great way to rescue a struggling colony. One of the many reasons I like to have spare nucs on hand.
What to Do With the Old Queen
If I’m requeening due to queen failure or genetics, and I’ve already confirmed she’s present, I remove her and end it quickly—hive tool to the back of the head. No drama, no second chances. Keeping her around risks rejection of the new queen.
Some folks save old queens for splits or experiments, but in my yard, if she’s out, she’s done.
Why Genetics Matter
Requeening isn’t just about replacing a queen—it’s about upgrading your stock. Here are a few traits I requeen for:
Temperament — I don’t keep aggressive bees
Hygienic behavior — Essential for disease resistance
Varroa resistance — I look for queens with proven survivability
Honey production — Some lines are simply better producers
Swarm control — Requeening in early spring can reset the swarm impulse
Overwintering ability — Big in cold regions or if you want to build self-sufficient stock
Final Thoughts
Requeening is one of those decisions where timing, patience, and experience all matter. The biggest mistake I see new beekeepers make is failing to take any action at all. Whether it’s not knowing what to do, analysis paralysis, or a combination of the two, you have to step up and do what has to be done. The more time that passes with a queenless hive, the more problems that will arise, and the more likely the colony is to fail. Don’t assume your hive is queenless just because you didn’t spot her. Take a structured approach. Check for eggs, larvae, and queen cells. Use your tools and your judgment.
Once you do decide to requeen, do it deliberately. Pick the method that makes the most sense for the season, your goals, and the strength of the colony. Requeening won’t solve every problem, but done right, it can be one of the most powerful tools in your beekeeping toolkit.
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