🐝 Guide: How to Introduce a Queen to a Queenless Colony
 
1. First and most important: Make sure there is NO queen already in the hive. This includes: No mated queen, but also — very important — No virgin queen! Carefully inspect the brood. 👉 If you see fresh eggs (1 day old), then a queen is still present, and adding a new one would be a mistake. 📌 If you add a queen when another is already in the hive, the bees will likely kill the new one.
2. Check how long the colony has been queenless. If the colony has been queenless for more than 3 weeks, the bees become older and are less likely to accept a new queen.
 
👉 The best time to introduce a queen is 7–14 days after the original queen is lost.
3. When your new queen arrives (in a cage):
🔸 Place the queen cage between two brood frames, ideally ones with young bees and open brood.
🔸 The candy plug (fondant) must face downwards — this keeps the candy dry and allows a safe exit for the queen.
💡 Important tips: Push the cage firmly between the frames, so it doesn’t fall. If it drops to the bottom, the queen may not be able to exit or could get injured.