Is Your Queen Bee Thriving? Signs of a Healthy (or Failing) Queen
- dunnybees
- Apr 28
- 2 min read
The queen bee is the heart of your hive. A strong, productive queen means a thriving colony, while a failing or missing queen can lead to chaos. But how do you know if your queen is healthy?
Here’s what to look for during your hive inspections.
Why Is the Queen Important?
The queen’s main job is to lay eggs—up to 2,000 per day in peak season! She also releases pheromones that keep the colony organised and productive. If she’s failing, the entire hive can suffer.
Signs of a Healthy Queen
✅ Consistent Brood Pattern
• A strong queen lays eggs in a tight, even pattern with few empty cells.
• Look for eggs, larvae, and capped brood.
✅ Presence of Eggs
• Eggs are tiny white specks (like grains of rice) at the bottom of each cell.
• If you see eggs, she was there within the last 3 days.
✅ Calm & Organised Colony
• A well-structured, active hive means her pheromones are doing their job.
• If bees seem frantic or aggressive, she may be failing or missing.
✅ You Can Find Her! (Optional)
• The queen is larger than worker bees and has an elongated abdomen.
• She may be marked with a coloured dot (if done by a beekeeper).
Signs of a Failing or Missing Queen
❌ Patchy or Sparse Brood Pattern
• If there are lots of empty cells or drone brood (larger, bullet-shaped caps), the queen may be weak.
❌ No Eggs or Young Larvae
• If you don’t see eggs for multiple inspections, she may be gone.
❌ Increased Queen Cells
• If bees are building emergency queen cells (large peanut-shaped cells), they may be trying to replace her.
❌ Aggressive or Noisy Bees
• Queenless hives are often more defensive and louder than usual.
What to Do if Your Queen Is Missing or Failing
🔹 Give It Time: If you see queen cells, your bees may be raising a new queen naturally. Check back in a week.
🔹 Introduce a New Queen: If there’s no sign of a new queen, you may need to purchase and introduce one.
🔹 Combine Hives: If the hive is weak and queenless for too long, merging it with a stronger hive may be the best option.
A thriving queen means a thriving hive. Regular inspections will help you catch any issues early so your colony stays strong.
Check out our other YouTube videos for other tips, tricks and advice.
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