6 Signs That You Have a Queenless Hive 

TL;DR: The queen bee is the mother of every bee in your colony and the chemical glue that holds the hive together. Without her pheromones, a queenless hive will enter a state of panic, leading to dwindling populations and eventual colony collapse unless the beekeeper intervenes quickly. 
 

• Missing Eggs: The most reliable sign of a queenless beehive is the complete absence of fresh eggs, indicating the queen has been gone for at least 72 hours. 

• Agitated Behavior: A queenless bee colony often becomes defensive, aggressive, and generally "grumpy" due to the lack of the calming Queen Mandibular Pheromone. 

• Worker-Laid Eggs: If you see multiple eggs haphazardly laid in a single cell, the workers have started laying drones, signaling the hive will be very difficult to save. 

• Listen for Distress: A queenless hive may emit a high-pitched, chaotic "queenless roar" instead of the low, steady hum of a healthy colony. 

• Intervene Promptly: If you spot these signs, you must either allow the bees to raise an emergency queen or, for faster results, purchase and introduce a new mated queen.  

The queen bee is the mother of every bee in your colony, and the chemical glue holding the hive together. Her pheromones dictate every other bee’s mood, productivity level, and ability to focus.   

Needless to say, a queenless hive can struggle in significant ways. It’s up to the beekeeper to ensure the queen is present and healthy, and to intervene if she is not. Otherwise, the bee population will dwindle until there are no bees left. The result is often complete loss of the colony.  

We’re dedicated to the success of your hive, and we won’t let that happen! In this guide, we’re sharing 6 unmistakable signs that your hive has lost its queen and needs your help. Continue reading to learn what a queenless beehive looks like so you can spot it early and intervene.   

1. The Absence of Eggs and Brood 

The most definitive sign of a queenless colony is a lack of fresh eggs. During the peak season, a queen bee can lay as many as 2,000 eggs every single day! When you pull a frame from the brood nest, you should see uncapped larvae and tiny white eggs standing up in the bottom of the cells.  

Eggs typically hatch after three days. If, upon inspection, you do not find fresh eggs or young larvae, you are likely looking at a queenless bee colony. At that point, the queen may have been gone for a minimum of 72 hours.   

2. Emergency Queen Cells 

Your colony often knows the queen is missing before you do. It will often instinctively go into panic mode if it is aware that the queen has died suddenly or accidentally. Your surviving bees will frantically attempt to replace her using all of the resources at their disposal.   

As a first step, they will begin to construct emergency cells on the face of the comb, which look a bit like peanut shells protruding from the base. Don’t confuse them with swarm cells, which tend to be neatly placed at the very bottom of a frame. If you notice emergency cells, it’s a strong sign you have a queenless hive.   

3. A Dramatic Shift in Temperament 

When a queen is present, she emits a substance called Queen Mandibular Pheromone (QMP), which keeps the worker bees calm. When that scent fades, the bees can begin to grow anxious, defensive, and less methodical. If a normally calm hive begins stinging or acting erratically, it’s a sign to search for the queen.   

4. The "Queenless Roar" 

A happy hive has a low, steady, consistent hum. A queenless bee colony often emits a sound known as the "queenless roar." It is a higher-pitched, dissonant buzz. If you hear this roar combined with a lack of eggs, you can be almost certain the queen is gone.  

5. A Drop in Population and Activity 

Worker bees only live for about six weeks during the active season. In a healthy hive, new bees hatch every day to replace the ones that die. In a queenless hive, the old bees continue to die off, but no new bees are born to take their place. You might notice that the hive feels physically lighter when you lift it.   

If your colony is at this stage, the situation is already critical, and you should prepare to intervene.   

6. Laying Workers  

If a colony remains queenless for too long, the suppressed ovaries of the worker bees will begin to develop due to the lack of queen pheromones. These workers will start laying eggs. However, because workers cannot mate, they can only lay unfertilized eggs. Thus, all of the eggs will develop into drones.   

Unlike a queen, which lays one distinct egg per cell, laying workers are clumsy. You will often see multiple in a single cell. If you see this, the colony believes it has a queen. That makes it harder to introduce a new queen, as they may get defensive and kill a queen you attempt to introduce.   

How to Save the Colony 

If you identify the signs of a queenless hive early, you can often intervene in one of two ways. First, if emergency cells are present, you can let them raise a new queen, which takes about a month. If not, or if time is of the essence, you can purchase a mated queen and install her in the hive. Introducing a new queen is often the best approach for new beekeepers.   

Common Questions About Queen Bees 

How are queen bees born? 

Queen bees are born from fertilized eggs just like worker bees. The difference is their diet. Nurse bees feed a chosen larva a strict diet of royal jelly. This rich food triggers the development of reproductive organs. The larva grows inside a special vertical peanut-shaped cell before hatching.  

What happens if the queen bee dies? 

The colony will quickly realize she is gone due to the lack of pheromones. They will panic and rush to create a new queen from a young larva. If they fail to raise a new queen, the colony will eventually die out as the population dwindles.  

How long do bees live without a queen? 

A colony can survive for a few months without a queen, but it is a slow decline. The existing workers will live out their natural lifespans of roughly six weeks. Without new bees hatching to replace them, the population will fade away until the hive collapses.  

The Final Buzz on Queenless Hives 

Identifying a queenless hive is a skill that comes with time. By staying observant and knowing what to look for, you can intervene quickly and ensure your apiary continues to thrive.  

Are you interested in learning more about beekeeping? Start with our Beekeeper’s Bible, a complete guide to beekeeping for beginners! You’ll learn everything you need to know to survive your first year with your bees!