THE ROLE OF THE QUEEN BEE IN THE HIVE

Table of Content

The Role of the Queen Bee in the Hive

This article is part of our complete guide to Starting Beekeeping in South Africa.

The queen bee is the central figure in a honeybee colony. She is the only fertile female and performs two key roles: reproduction and releasing pheromones that regulate colony behaviour.

While she is often called the “leader,” the colony’s survival depends more on balance than authority.

This article explains what the queen does, how she develops, and what signs beekeepers can look for to assess her performance.

Queen Development

Queens are raised from fertilised eggs (just like workers)
Larvae are fed royal jelly for all stages (not just early days)
Queen cells are larger and hang vertically
Queens emerge in 16 days (faster than workers or drones)

Key Functions of the Queen Bee

1. Egg Laying

The queen lays up to 1,500 eggs per day during peak season
She lays one egg per wax cell—either fertilised (worker/queen) or unfertilised (drone)
Lays in a circular or oval pattern in the brood nest

2. Pheromone Production

Releases queen mandibular pheromone (QMP) that:
- Prevents other queens from developing
- Coordinates worker behaviour
- Signals hive health and stability
Workers spread pheromones throughout the hive by grooming and contact

Mating Behaviour

Mates in flight with multiple drones (8–20)
Takes one or more mating flights a few days after emerging
Stores sperm in her spermatheca for life
If unmated within 2 weeks, she cannot lay fertilised eggs

Life Span and Replacement

Queens can live 2–5 years
Productivity often declines after 1–2 seasons
Colonies may replace failing queens via:
- Supersedure (natural replacement without swarming)
- Swarming (half the colony leaves with the old queen)
- Emergency queens raised if she dies suddenly

Signs of a Strong Queen

Solid brood pattern with few empty cells
Presence of eggs, larvae, and capped brood
Calm, focused worker behaviour

Signs of a Failing Queen

Spotty brood pattern
Multiple eggs in one cell (may indicate laying workers)
Aggression, noise, or queen cells being built
Reduced egg laying or drone-laying only

Requeening

Beekeepers may requeen to:
- Improve genetics (gentler, productive bees)
- Replace old or failing queens
- Fix a queenless or aggressive colony

Final Thoughts

The queen bee is vital to the hive, but her power lies in influence, not control.

South African beekeepers who understand how she works – through pheromones, egg laying, and behaviour – can spot problems early and maintain strong, stable colonies.