1. Managing a queenless Colony.

These management topics are normally beyond a hobby beekeeper activity. But I include it for information. Accidents can happen. A queen may die suddenly. A queenless honeybee colony is in a state of crisis. The queen is the only fertile female who can lay fertilised eggs—the source of all future worker bees and potential new queens. Without her, the colony loses its ability to replenish itself. Here’s what typically happens, step by step:

Initial Signs and Behaviour Changes

Within a day or two of losing the queen, the pheromonal signals she produces begin to fade. Worker bees are highly sensitive to her pheromones, especially the Queen Mandibular Pheromone (QMP), which keeps the colony calm, organized, and functioning. Once this pheromone is absent, the hive becomes noticeably agitated and disoriented. You may observe: Increased noise or buzzing, Restlessness at the entrance, Aimless wandering of bees, A lack of focused activity.

Emergency Queen Rearing (if young larvae are available)

If the colony has fertilised eggs or very young larvae (less than 3 days old) at the time of queen loss, worker bees may attempt to raise a new queen. They do this by:

• Selecting 1 or more young larvae

• Feeding them royal jelly

• Building emergency queen cells, usually in the middle of the comb

If successful, a new queen will emerge within 16 days of the original egg being laid. She will then go out for mating flights. Mate with drones and begin laying eggs, restoring the hive’s balance.

If No Eggs or Suitable Larvae Are Present

If it’s too late—no fertilised eggs or young larvae remain—the colony cannot raise a new queen. In this case, the hive will collapse as follows:

Some worker bees’ ovaries become active over time.

These workers, known as laying workers, begin laying unfertilized eggs.

Since they cannot mate, they only produce male drones, not worker bees.

These drones consume resources and contribute nothing, accelerating the hive’s decline.

Rapid Decline

Without new workers:

• The existing workers age and die off (lifespan ~6 weeks).

• No new workers emerge to care for the brood, clean cells, or forage.

• The colony becomes increasingly disorganized and vulnerable to pests like wax moths and hive beetles.

• Eventually, the hive collapses completely—no brood, no honey production, and no population.

What a Beekeeper Should Do

Inspect the brood regularly to confirm the queen’s presence. New eggs, larvae present

If queenless and no queen cells are present, consider:

• Introducing a mated queen purchased from a bee supplier

• Merging the colony with another using the newspaper method

• Providing a frame of fresh eggs from another hive so they can raise a queen. This could be the easiest method for a beginner beekeeper.

In Conclusion

A queenless colony is not just missing a leader—it's missing the central biological force that sustains it. Early detection and intervention are critical. With quick action, beekeepers can often save a queenless colony, but if left alone too long, it will inevitably collapse.

The above tasks are beyond the scope of a hobby beekeeper. But as time goes by, beekeepers learn from experience and will have the confidence to manage any situation. Always seek help from more experienced beekeepers. Meet them occasionally and share your beekeeping activities. Work together like bees.