When a queen bee dies, it triggers an urgent and unplanned supersedure within the honey bee colony.
The Colony's Response to Queenlessness
The death of the queen bee has significant repercussions for a honey bee colony. The colony recognizes her absence through the decline of her pheromones, which regulate various aspects of hive life. The primary response is an emergency effort to raise a new queen.
- Urgent Supersedure: According to provided references, the immediate response to the queen's death is an urgent and unplanned supersedure.
How Worker Bees Raise a New Queen
Here’s a breakdown of how worker bees manage to replace their lost queen:
- Larvae Selection: Worker bees identify several young larvae, typically within the proper age range (usually less than three days old).
- Royal Jelly Diet: These selected larvae are then fed exclusively with royal jelly. Royal jelly is a special secretion from the hypopharyngeal glands of worker bees. This rich diet triggers the development of queen characteristics.
- Queen Cell Construction: The workers construct larger, peanut-shaped cells called queen cells to accommodate the developing queens. These cells are typically located on the edges of the honeycomb.
- Emergence and Mating: Once the new queens emerge, they will embark on a mating flight to mate with drones (male bees). After successfully mating, the new queen will return to the hive and begin laying eggs, thus ensuring the continuation of the colony.
Potential Consequences of Queen Loss
If the colony cannot successfully raise a new queen, it faces certain doom. Without a queen, the worker bees will eventually die off, and the colony will collapse. Also, if the new queen doesn't mate properly, she will not be able to lay fertilized eggs, eventually leading to a dwindling colony.
