The queen bee serves as the central figure of a honey bee colony, her presence being fundamental for the hive’s continued existence and reproduction. She is the sole bee with fully developed ovaries, responsible for laying all the eggs that sustain the colony’s population. Beyond her reproductive role, the queen emits specific chemical scents, known as pheromones, which play a crucial part in regulating the unity and behavior of the entire hive. Without her, the intricate social structure and population dynamics of the colony quickly unravel.
Initial Response of the Hive
When a queen bee dies or is otherwise absent, the colony detects this loss through the cessation of her pheromone distribution. Worker bees constantly interact with the queen, picking up these chemical signals and spreading them throughout the hive. The sudden lack of these regulating pheromones triggers an immediate and noticeable shift in hive behavior. Within minutes to hours, the worker bees can sense this change, leading to disorganization and an increase in agitated behavior. This disruption signals to the colony that their reproductive leader is gone and prompts them to initiate a process to replace her.
The Process of Raising a New Queen
Upon realizing the queen’s absence, worker bees quickly begin the process of raising a replacement. They construct specialized structures known as “emergency queen cells.” These emergency cells are rapidly formed by modifying existing worker cells that contain young female larvae. These modified cells can appear anywhere on the brood comb and often have a less uniform, more “patched” appearance.
The larvae selected for queen development must be very young, less than three days old from the egg stage. These chosen larvae are then fed an exclusive diet of royal jelly, a protein-rich substance secreted by the worker bees. This stimulates the rapid development of the larva’s reproductive organs, leading to a queen’s larger size and fertility. The entire development from egg to an emerged queen takes approximately 16 days.
Outcomes for the Colony
The success of a queenless colony depends on its ability to raise a new queen. If the process is successful, a new virgin queen emerges, and if multiple queens emerge, they will often engage in combat until only one remains. This new queen will then undertake mating flights, storing enough sperm to lay fertilized eggs for her entire lifespan, thus restoring the colony’s reproductive capacity and cohesion. A strong, newly mated queen ensures the hive can grow, maintain productivity, and exhibit better disease resistance.
However, if the colony fails to produce a viable new queen, the hive faces severe consequences. Without the queen’s pheromones to suppress their reproductive systems, some worker bees may begin to lay eggs. Since these “laying workers” are unmated, their unfertilized eggs can only develop into male drones, leading to a severe imbalance as no new female worker bees are produced to replace dying older ones. The colony’s ability to forage, defend itself, and maintain hive functions diminishes rapidly. Ultimately, a terminally queenless colony will decline and collapse within two to three months.